An Invesigation on Feasibility of Using Sunflower Seed Bark in Paricleboard Industry

In order to find a non-wood raw material for use in particleboard manufacturing, a feasibility study using sunflower seed bark mixed with wood particles was performed. Percentage of sunflower seed bark in mixture (0, 15 and 30 %) , amount of urea formaldehyde resin ( 9,11 and 13 % ) , and press time (5 and 7 min) were selected as variables, other factors being kept constant. A factorial design was used for conducting the experiments. Physical and mechanical properties of manufactured boards were determined based on DlN-68793 standard. Anova method was employed to analyse the effects of variables on manufactured boards. Results indicated that adding sunflower seed bark to wood particles as much as 15 % not only has no negative effect but causes an increase in modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity as well as an increase in internal bonds of boards as compared with boards made of only wood particles."However, water absorption in boards increased to an insignificant extent. Adding
sunflower seed bark to wood particles (more than 15%) negatively affect affected board properties.
Analysis of interaction effects of variables on board properties revealed that an increase in amount of resin up to 11 % as well as in press time to 7 partly minutes partly neutralizes the negative effects.
Grouping the experimental data while using Dunkan method was indicative of the fact that an
optimum condition for manufacturing particleboard while using a mixture of sunflower seed bark and wood particles is to add 15% sunflower seed bark to the mixture, use 11% urea formaldehyde resin and employ a pressing tim e of 7 minutes