Properties of Wood Particleboards Containing Giant Reed (Arundo donax L.) Particles

Agriculture is responsible for generating large amounts of waste that are not adequately managed in terms of their environmental treatment and economic administration. This work uses giant reed, which was traditionally used as a construction material in eastern areas of Spain. Nowadays, it is no longer used, which has led to its rapid, autonomous, uncontrolled proliferation on river banks, making it a serious environmental hazard because this plant causes significant blockages of bridges and other infrastructure when uprooted by the strong currents that occur as rivers flood. The aim of this work is to develop wood and giant reed particleboards, which help to counter the high dependence on wood in industrial manufacturing by using an easily renewable resource. It will thereby be possible to achieve two general objectives: controlling the growth of a weed and obtaining a product (particleboards) from a waste material. Particleboards containing 9% urea formaldehyde composed of different proportions of sawmill wood and giant reed (0, 50, 70 and 100%) have been manufactured by applying two different pressures (2.1 and 2.6 MPa) and a temperature of 120 °C for 4 min in a hot plate press. Density, thickness swelling (TS) and water absorption (WA) after immersion in water, modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bonding strength (IB) and screw holding strength (SH) have been tested according to european norms (EN) for wood boards. With the addition of 70% reed particles, the density, MOR and TS decrease and the MOE, IB and SH increase; therefore, adding giant reed particles to wood boards can improve their properties, bringing about considerable industrial and environmental benefits.