Evaluation of Some Physico-Mechanical Properties and Formaldehyde Emission of Ecological Chipboards Produced from Annual Residue Plant Stems

Urea formaldehyde glue is one of the most preferred glues in the production of wood composite panels. It has many advantages such as economy, effective adhesive power and easy use. However, due to formaldehyde emission, it negatively affects the environment and human health. Formaldehyde emission can cause diseases in the respiratory system depending on the concentration and duration of exposure. In recent years, with legal regulations and increasing consumer awareness, low emission plate production has become inevitable. Therefore, low-emission adhesives, formaldehyde-scavenging chemicals and alternative binders are used to reduce formaldehyde emissions. Many studies have been made on the use of urea formaldehide glue and this topic is still actual. In this study, varying proportions (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %) of annual residue plant (ARP) were added to the wood chips used in the production of chipboards to solve these problems. The results showed that in physical properties, with the increase of ARP ratio, water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) values deteriorated for 2 and 24 hours. In mechanical measurements, the highest figures were obtained from the bending strength (SBS), modulus of elasticity (MOE) and tensile strength perpendicular to the surface (TSP) measurements of the boards produced from 25 % WAP added mixtures. TS EN 120 perforator method was applied to measure the formaldehyde emission in the boards. The test boards can be considered "ecological" since most results of formaldehyde emission (FE) measured on value-added products (WAP) were below the upper limit (8 mg/100g) specified in the E1 (EN 120) standard.