Potential destination of Brazilian cocoa agro-industrial wastes for production of materials with high added value

[Display omitted] •Cocoa almond husk waste was destined as alternative to produce MDP panels.•Extractives and ash may cause a damage in the adhesive-particles interaction.•Decrease in resin-to-particle ratio may cause damage to the mechanical properties.•Low percentages of cocoa waste did not hamper the properties of the panels.•Inclusion up to 21% of cocoa waste meet the standardization for all properties of MDP. This research proposed to investigate a possible destination for the cocoa waste as component in the core layer of Medium Density Particleboards (MDPs) and to evaluate the effect of the waste insertion on the physical-mechanical properties of the panel. The core layers of the MDPs were composed by different percentages of cocoa wastes (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) in combination with pine wood. The targeted density of the panels was pre-established in 0.7 g cm−3, bonded with urea-formaldehyde. The cocoa waste showed higher extractives content (34.8%) when compared with the pine wood (4.0%). The inclusion of the waste did not cause a significant difference in the moisture and bulk density of the panels; however, there was an increase in water absorption 24 h (71–105%) and thickness swelling 24 h (13–35%). Despite the values of the mechanical properties decreased in general, in low percentages, the cocoa waste does not prevent the use of the MDPs as furniture for internal environments. The results show that the cocoa waste has potential for being applied as raw material in the core layer of the MDP, in percentages up to 21%. The lignocellulosic wastes are promising alternatives for the achievement of the required current context of the sustainability and should be highlighted with research focused on their management for the development of added value materials.