PROPERTIES PARTICLEBOARDS MANUFACTURED WITH Eucalyptus urophylla WOOD

This is an exploratory study on the feasibility of using Eucalyptus urophylla wood for the production of particleboards. Therefore, the aims were to determine their physical and mechanical properties and to evaluate the results with German Standards Institute (DIN) and Industrial Standards Commission Venezuelan (COVENIN). For boards with a real density of 731 kg/m(3), the average water absorption at 2 and 24 hours does not meet the standards, in the case of real density boards 831 kg/m(3) that fulfilled with both standards. The average water absorption at 2 and 24 hours of boards for the actual density of 731 kg/m(3) did not comply with the requirements for both standards, unlike the particleboards with density equal 831 kg/m(3) that fulfilled with them. The average thickness variation (swelling) by immersion in water for 2 hours for boards with a density of 731 kg/m(3) did not meet the requirements of both standards, but meet the requirements for 24 hours. In the case of boards with a density of 838 kg/m(3), thickness variation at 2 and 24 hours meet with the standards. Regarding mechanical properties both, the modulus of rupture in static bending and perpendicular tension (internal bond) for both real density levels exceed the minimum accepted by standards, demonstrating that E. urophylla wood exhibit suitable technological characteristics for particleboards medium density manufacture.