Ash trees infested by emerald ash borers as raw material for wood-based composites

Value-added utilization of ash trees infested by emerald ash borers (EABs) was explored by converting ash chips into particleboard (PB) panels and wood-plastic composites (WPCs). Experimental results showed that PBs and WPCs could be successfully manufactured from ash trees, including those infested by EABs. Mechanical properties of PB met or exceeded the current standard requirements listed by the American National Standards Institute. The properties of ash-based WPCs compared favorably to WPCs made with pine and maple flours.