Blended formaldehyde adhesive bonded particleboards made from groundnut shell and rice husk wastes

Rice is one of the most common stable foods that is consumed globally with 680 million tonnes being grown annually worldwide. With its cultivation, an associated increase in waste generation to about 120 and 1.8 million tonnes from both rice husk and groundnut processing activities have been reported, respectively. Therefore, it is expedient to find meaningful methods of utilizing these wastes in the society. The study investigates the possibility of experimentally producing panelboards from agricultural wastes using modified adhesive system. Agricultural wastes from groundnut shell (GS) and rice husk (RH) were processed into particles and utilized in the production of the composite panelboards. Variations of 30-70, 70-30, 50-50% for GS-RH and 100% for each of the waste materials were adopted. Dimensional stability tests, density, internal bond, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) properties were determined according to EN 312-2 and 312-3 standards. The results showed that the dimensional stability values were below the maximum requirement of 8% after 24 h immersion in water. The highest density and internal bond strength of 0.98; 0.97 g/cm(3) and 0.24; 0.23 N/mm(2) were obtained from samples made from 30% RH + 70% GS and 50% RH + 50% GS, respectively. The best mechanical performance was achieved at 122.79 and 1.91 MPa from samples produced from 30% RH + 70% GS, respectively. The mechanical properties did not conform to the same standard because it fell short of the minimum requirements. The produced panelboards from rice husk and groundnut shell wastes could be used in developing eco-friendly interior panelboard materials.