Mechanical properties of coir pith particle board

Particle boards of size 250 mm x 250 mm and 12 mm thick, with 0.9 g/cc density, were made from coir pith using phenol-fomaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde resins. The mechanical properties, modulus of rupture, tensile strength both parallel to surface and perpendicular to surface, screw-holding capacity along face and along edge, nail-holding capacity along face and edge, lateral nail-holding capacity and impact strength, were higher for phenol-formaldehyde bonded boards made using a larger particle-size of coir pith at optimum level of process parameters. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.