Title
Rubberwood particleboard manufactured using epichlorohydrin-modified rice starch as a binder
Authors
NURUL SYUHADA SULAIMAN ROKIAH HASHIM SALIM HIZIROGLU MOHD HAZIM MOHAMAD AMINI OTHMAN SULAIMAN and MOHD EZWAN SELAMAT

Received June 12, 2013
Published Volume 50 Issue 2 February
Keywords epichlorohydrin, rice starch, particleboard, mechanical properties, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy

Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the properties of experimental particleboard panels manufactured using rice starch and epichlorohydrin-modified rice starch with added urea formaldehyde as binders. The physical and mechanical properties of the panels having two density levels, namely 0.60 g/cm3 and 0.80 g/cm3 were evaluated as a function of adhesive types. Thermal analysis and morphology of the samples were also determined employing Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Scanning Electron Microscopy, respectively. The panels having 0.80 g/cm3 density level made with modified starch to which 2% urea formaldehyde was added had the highest mechanical properties. These panels had average values of 23.05 N/mm2, 3691.50 N/mm2, and 0.64 N/mm2 for modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity and internal bond strength, respectively. It appears that rice starch modified with epichlorohydrin could have a potential to be used as a binder to manufacture particleboard panels with satisfactory properties within the perspective of an environmentally friendly approach.