"Evaluation of plywood properties made using modified starch as environmental friendly binder. "

• Main Author: Nursyahira Mat Hassan
• Format: Undergraduate Final Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/7221/1/NURSYAHIRA%20MAT%20HASSAN.pdf; http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/7221/

Common resin system used in wood-based panel preparation was formaldehyde-based glue where they were believed to have fatal effects towards environment and human’s health due to the release of free formaldehyde. The objective of the study was to qualify and evaluate physical and mechanical properties of experimental plywood made using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hot water gelatinized glutardialdehyde modified starch as environmental friendly binder. Plywood were manufactured using 10%, 20% and 30% of glutardialdehyde percentages based on weight of starch. For physical testing, the range value of density was 0.34 g/cm3 to 0.38 g/cm3, moisture content was 19.34% to 23.67%, water absorption was between 24.56% to 71.60%, and thickness swelling between 1.18% to 7.27%. Plywood using NaOH gelatinized glutardialdehyde modified starch binder has higher density, lower moisture content which are advantages for this type of plywood. In mechanical testing, it has been found that plywood using NaOH gelatinized glutardialdehyde modified starch binder has overall higher strength compared to plywood using hot water gelatinized glutardialdehyde modified starch binder, in terms of bending strength (MOR and MOE) and tensile shear strength. Range value of MOR was between 124.88 N/mm2 to 179.32 N/mm2, MOE between 8027.50 N/mm2 to 10603.90 N/mm2, and tensile shear strength between 651.64 N/mm2 to 1385.16 N/mm2. It is also found that highest glutardialdehyde:starch ratio which is 30% of glutardialdehyde used based on weight of starch in environmental friendly binder produced showed better overall plywood physical and mechanical properties. The results showed that glutardialdehyde modified starch can be used as an alternative binder in plywood manufacturing.