Alternative particleboards based on treated and untreated hay

Agricultural resources have a great potential to be supplement or replacement for wood, especially in countries lacking wood resources, during times of economic turmoil markets, manufacturing panel products. Previous research has focused on various sources including wheat straw, rice rapeseed, oil palm stems, but so far hay was not considered. Hay consists cut and dried grasses, legumes, other herbaceous plants. It similar structure straw with typical waxy surface layer poor bondability. Soaking NaOH employed improve the bondability used full-length hay, particles urea formaldehyde (UF) resin. A comparison physical mechanical properties assessed. The vertical density profile panels made from treated reached smaller differences between core density. Full-length higher average values equilibrium moisture content (EMC), due structure. bending showed improvement, modulus rupture being 3.5 higher, elasticity 2.6 than that untreated particles. Thickness swelling after 48 hours decreased NaOH-pretreated panels.