Eco-particleboard manufactured from chemically treated fibrous vascular tissue of acai ( Euterpe oleracea Mart. ) Fruit: A new alternative for the particleboard industry with its potential application in civil construction and furniture

Generation and availability of agro-industrial waste in the world present an opportunity to obtain raw materials for the development of new sustainable materials. In order to contribute to the dissemination of using agro-industrial residues in lignocellulosic particleboard (eco-particleboard) manufacturing, this work aimed to investigate the influence of a chemical mercerization treatment on the physical and mechanical properties of eco-particleboards. The treatment consisted of 0.5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that treating the fibers was responsible for significantly reducing water absorption by 35% (2 h) and 17% (24 h), as well as thickness swelling by 36% (2 h) and 40% (24 h). The apparent density of treated (WT) and untreated (UT) eco-particleboards showed homogeneity and uniformity of the test specimens analyzed, mainly due to the manufacturing process in eco-particleboard pressing. The efficiency of the chemical mercerization treatment of the fibers of acai fruit eco-particleboard (WT) was established because the eco-particleboard produced with these fibers showed higher values in their mechanical properties: screw pullout (top) 54%, modulus of rupture in static bending (31%), and internal bonding (89%) compared to eco-particleboards composed of untreated fibers (UT). The physical-mechanical results presented by the eco-particleboards composed of treated acai fibers (WT) suggest that acai fibers could be a potentially useful raw material for the production of medium density homogeneous particleboards and consequent commercial use in the construction and furniture industries.