The investigation on feasibility of using rice husk in particleboard industry

In order to introduce a non-wood raw material to particleboard manufacturing, this study was performed on the feasibility of using rice husk mixed with wood particles. The percentage of rice husk in mixture (0, 15, 30 and 50%) amount of urea formaldehyde resin (9, 11 and 13%) and press time (5 and 7 min) were selected as variables, other factors being constant. Data were statistically analyzed with SPSS software and the assessment was made on the data obtained from Duncan test. Results indicated that adding rice husk to wood particles as much as 15% not only has no negative effect, but causes an increase in modulus of rupture and that of elasticity, as well as an increase in internal bonds of boards as compared with boards made of only wood particles. Grouping the experimental data while using Duncan test was indicative of the fact that an optimum condition for manufacturing particleboard while using a mixture of rice husk and wood particles is to add 15% rice husk the mixture, use 11% urea formaldehyde resin and employ a pressing time of 7 minutes.