Development of high-performance binderless fiberboards from wheat straw residue

This study aims to develop fully bio-based lignocellulosic fiberboards from wheat straw fibers without any additional bonding agents. The wheat straw biomass was used to produce a semichemical pulp, which was treated by means of enzymatic refining, on the one hand, and mechanical refining, on the other. The morphological analysis for both refined fibers was assessed and compared to that of wheat straw semichemical fibers. The results revealed that length and width were decreased, whereas, fines in length were increased after the enzymatic treatment and mechanical refining. The fibers were used to produce high-density fiberboards by means of wet process. The physical and mechanical properties of the resulting binderless fiberboards from both refined fibers were characterized and compared to that of fiberboards from wheat straw semichemical pulp and the commercial ones. In both cases, it was found that the mechanical properties of the fiberboards were significantly higher than those commercial fiberboards, as well as the required by the standard regulations. These results lead not only to synthetic resin elimination, but also to the exploration of using agricultural waste in several sectors, as the panel-housing could be. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.