Biodegradation Behaviour of Particleboard Bonded with Modified PVOH/Oil Palm Starch and Nano Silicon Dioxide

The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the biodegradation behaviour of experimental particleboard bonded with modified 30 % of PVOH, 70 % of Oil palm starch and 3 % of nano silicon dioxide (SiO2). Boric acid at 2 % was also added as a cross-linker to PVOH in modified oil palm starch to enhance decay resistant for the samples. All the particleboards were evaluated by soil burial, borer and fungal strains tests. The samples were then compared with particleboard bonded with native oil palm starch and commercial urea formaldehyde (UF). The results indicated that particleboards bonded with modified PVOH/Oil palm starch were more resistant than particleboard bonded with their native starch and thus can be used as a potential binder for green particleboard in future. The SiO2 also showed a significant effect towards modified oil palm starch as compared to their native oil palm starch and commercial binder.