DETERMINATION OF PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PARTICLEBOARD OBTAINED FROM COTTON AND CORN STUBBLE WITH FIBREGLASS PLASTER NET

Plant-based composites (biocomposites) can become a prospective raw material to use instead of polymer-based composites and wood materials because of their advantages, including cheap material, easy processing and manufacture, an abundance of raw materials and being nature friendly. Corn and cotton stalks are renewable natural resources emerging after agricultural production. This study investigated the physical and mechanical properties (surface flammability temperature, water retention value, bending strength, thermal conductivity coefficient) of corn and cotton stalks mixed in various proportions with fibreglass plaster net for the manufacture of particleboard. In this study, particleboards mixed in different proportions were produced at a pressing temperature of 175 degrees C for 10 min using 12% urea-formaldehyde glue. The lowest thermal conductivity coefficient was found as 0.1825 W/mK in sample A (100% cotton), the highest value in the surface flammability temperature was found as 167 degrees C and in sample E (100% corn) and the highest value of bending strength was found as 9.91278 N/mm(2) in sample D (75% corn, 25% cotton). The findings suggest that agricultural corn and cotton residues are suitable for the production of particleboard concerning general characteristics.