The Effect of Citric Acid Treatment on Particleboard Properties Obtained from a Combination of Garden Tree Branches with Bagasse and Palm Leaves

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of citric acid treatment on the particleboard properties obtained by mixing three types of lignocellulosic sources. The board was produced by mixing garden tree branches, bagasse and palm leaves in different mass portions (90:5:5, 70:15:15, 50:25:25). Urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin was used at two levels as 10 % surface layer and 8 % middle layer, and 8 % surface layer and 6 % middle layer based on the raw materials. Citric acid was used at three levels of 0, 10, and 20 % by weight. The physical and mechanical properties of particleboards are measured according to the European Standard EN. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to distinguish the effect of citric acid treatment on the particles. The results showed that, when the amount of citric acid increased, the water absorption of panels decreased, and the mechanical properties improved. As garden tree branch content in the particleboard increased, so did the total resistance. According to the results of this study, the particleboards containing 70 % garden tree branches, 0 % citric acid, and 8 % UF resin, as well as those of 50 % garden tree branches, 0 % citric acid, and 10 % UF resin can be used for type P1 boards (bending strength of 10 MPa and 0.24 MPa internal bonding). In comparison, the boards containing 90 % garden tree branches, 10 % citric acid and 10 % UF resin were proposed for type P2 boards (bending strength of 11 MPa, modulus of elasticity of 1600 MPa and internal bonding of 0.35 MPa).