Feasibility of Bio-Based Molasses and Citric Acid for The Manufacturing of Oil Palm Frond Particleboard

The oil palm frond (OPF) particleboard can be manufactured using bio-adhesive-based molasses and citric acid (MOCA) at different ratios. Before particleboard manufacture, each bio-adhesive was diluted in distilled water with a solid content of 59 wt% at three different mixture ratios of MO and CA (100:0, 75:25, and 50:50). Subsequently, the OPF particles were mixed with MOCA adhesives, oven-dried at 80 degrees C for 12 h, and then hot pressed at 200 degrees C for 10 min. In general, the basic properties and thermal behaviour of the MO adhesive changed with the increasing amount of CA. The MOCA adhesives had a lower gelation time, viscosity, pH, and a comparable solids content to that of the pure MO adhesive. The thermal behaviour of the MOCA adhesive showed an alteration in the melting point with slightly lower weight loss during thermal degradation. Applying MOCA adhesive in OPF particleboard manufacturing significantly increased its physical properties, including dimensional stabilization and mechanical properties. The OPF particleboard bonded with the MOCA adhesive at a 50:50 mixture ratio generated a product with higher dimensional stabilization and the best mechanical properties. The latter product fulfilled the JIS A 5908:2003 standard, except for the MOR and SHS parameters.