Hardboard fibers from a tropical wood: “Tornillo” (Cedrelinga cateniformis Ducke)

Abstract

Fiberboards were manufactured using the pulp of two raw materials: sawdust and chips of a tropical wood, “tornillo” (Cedrelinga cateniformis Ducke). The pulp was obtained by means of the cold soda chemi-mechanical process with a yield of 78%. The average dimensions of the fiberboards were 0.40 m x 0.40 m by 5 mm in thickness using 1.5% colophony and 2% alum. The fibrous mantle (MAT) was subjected to 5 kg/cm2 of room temperature pressing for 2 min, followed by a hot pressing in a diagram of 110 kg/cm2, 40 kg/cm2 and 80 kg/cm2 for 4, 15 and 4 min, respectively. The density of fiberboards made from sawdust pulp was 958 kg/m3 and 967 kg/m3 for fiberboards made from pulp chips and the water absorption values were 69% and 60% for both kinds of fiberboards, respectively. The Modulus of Rupture (MOR) was 107 kg/cm2 and 242 kg/cm2, respectively. Statistically, the values of the fiberboard properties displayed a great variability and there were significant differences between both types.