Mechanical Properties and Dimensional Stability of Wood-Cement Particleboard from Tree Prunings Residues of Some Wood Species as Affected by The Panel Density

The possibility of using tree prunings residues from four wood species grown in Saudi Arabia to create cementbonded particleboards (CBPs) was studied. The properties of the produced CBPs at different board densities were evaluated. Panels were made using three different board densities (1100, 1200 and 1300 kg/m) at a constant wood/cement ratio (1/2 by weight). The mechanical properties and dimensional stability characteristics of the CBP panels were determined. It was found that the tree prunings from the four wood species are suitable raw material to create CBPs after pretreating the particles in either cold or hot water and by using chemical additives. The results indicated that the panels produced from these tree prunings meet the mechanical and dimensional stability requirements of commercial CBP panels. CBP panels with good mechanical properties, good dimensional stability and a high level of board density (1300 kg/m3) should be used.