Comparative properties of bagasse, canola and hemp particle boards

Residues of Bagasse (Saccharum officinarum L.), canola (Brassica napus L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as well as industrial wood chips in various proportions from 0-100% were used as raw materials for the main component of the middle layer in urea formaldehyde bonded particle boards. The results reveal that most of the investigated mechanical-technological properties of the boards achieved the requirements of EN 312-2 (2003). Only increasing the percentage of canola chips usage in the middle layer to more than 30% negatively affect the internal bond (IB) properties. Comparing the water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) values, the boards containing up to 50% bagasse and hemp reach similar values to the ones of the reference boards, while increasing the amount of canola leads to more and more disadvantageous WA and TS. In summary, the results reveal that agri-fibers can be used for making composite panels conforming to the standards (EN 312-2 2003). One possible application for these panels could be the production of furniture.