Utilization of olive mill solid waste in the manufacturing of cement-bonded particleboard

This article investigated the effect of using olive mill solid waste (OSW) residue and cement types on some properties of cement-bonded particleboard (CBPB). Therefore, OSW as the wood replacement at four different rates (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) based on wood weight, and two cement types [32,5R Portland Cement (PC) and 52,5R Super White Cement (SWC)] were used in the production of CBPB. 1% NaOH extraction was applied to all OSW materials prior to CBPB production. The experimental boards were subjected to moisture content, density, water ab-sorption, thickness swelling, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond strength tests according to the relevant EN standards. In addition, thermogravimetric and scanning elec-tron microscope analyses were performed to determine boards' thermal and morphological properties. According to the results, the density values of the boards (SWC-boards) produced by using the SWC were found to be higher. With the increase in the amount of OSW, density values were generally increased. The water resistance was higher in the boards used in the SWC. With the increase in OSW, it was observed that water absorption and thickness swelling increased in both cement types. When the effect of the cement types on the mechanical properties were examined, higher values were obtained from the SWC-boards than PC-boards. In addition, as the use of OSW increased, the resistance properties decreased likewise. In thermal properties, inti-mate results were obtained in weight loss of the boards, and weight loss was higher in the SWC-boards without adding OSW. In morphological features, the increase in OSW ratio caused the boards to have a more hollow structure. In addition, it was observed that the OSW added boards had fewer hydration products [Ca(OH)(2) and C-S-H] compared to the other boards.