Harvesting value from agricultural waste: Dimensionally stable fiberboards and particleboards with enhanced mechanical performance and fire retardancy through the use of lignocellulosic nanofibers

The present work provides a comprehensive study on the utilization of rapeseed stalks, an agricultural waste, as a raw material for the production of resin-free fiberboards and particleboards, using LCNFs as binder. The rapeseed stalks underwent appropriate crushing and fibrillation and were combined with a novel class of lignocellulosic nanofibers (LCNFs) derived from date palm waste, another agricultural residue. The incorporation of LCNFs in both fiberboards and particleboards resulted in increased density and enhanced mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and fire resistance. These positive effects can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the incorporation of LCNFs led to a reduction in porosity, positively impacting the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bonding of the produced fiberboards and particleboards. Notably, fiberboards containing 15 wt% LCNF exhibited superior specific properties compared to our commercial reference. Additionally, this densification effect mitigated moisture absorption and thickness swelling, as even a 2 wt% incorporation of LCNF in fiberboards showed reduced values for both properties. Secondly, the high lignin content of the LCNFs contributed to decreased hydrophilicity in the fiberboards and particleboards, leading to significant improvements in water contact angle, water absorption, and thickness swelling. Lastly, the increased density of the fiberboards and particleboards resulted in improved fire resistance, with flame propagation time being higher for all boards containing LCNFs, even at low content (2 wt%), compared to the commercial fiberboard. Notably, fiberboards demonstrated superior performance compared to particleboards, attributed to factors such as low cohesion, particle heterogeneity, and excessive porosity. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing agricultural waste as a raw material for board production, eliminating the need for urea-formaldehyde resins and paraffin waxes commonly found in commercial fiberboards. [Display omitted] •Fiber- and particleboards from rapeseed stalks and date palm wastes were produced.•LCNFs provided improved mechanical performance and dimensional stability.•Fire retardancy of fiberboards was better than the commercial reference.•Density plays a key role in the main properties of particleboards and fiberboards.•Lignin from LCNFs were determinant in the hydrophobization and fire retardancy.