Effect of cement/wood ratio on the properties of cement-bonded particleboard using CCA-treated wood removed from service

There is growing concern about the environmental risks and difficulty in disposing of preservative-treated wood products. Land-fill disposal is becoming less acceptable and alternatives must be explored. A possible approach to reusing this waste material is to incorporate it in cement-bonded particleboard (CBP). This paper investigates the effect of cement/wood ratio on the properties of CBP using particles from wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) and removed from service. A total of 35 CBPs were laboratory-manufactured using Portland cement and wood particles from CCA-treated red pine. The following mechanical and physical properties were evaluated at various cement/wood ratios, ranging from 1.0 to 4.0, at 0.5 increments: modulus of elasticity (MOE) and rupture (MOR), from bending strength, internal bond (IB) strength, thickness swelling (TS), water uptake (WU), and water absorption (WA). The results indicate that bending strength increases with the cement/wood ratio from 1.0 to 3.0, and decreases thereafter above a cement/wood ratio of 3.0. IB strength increases with cement/wood ratio and peaks at a cement/wood ratio of 3.5. The CBPs show low levels of TS after 24-hour water soaking. The TS and WA decrease as the cement/wood ratio increases from 1.0 to 3.0, and then level off at cement/wood ratio above 3.0. The laboratory-made CBP using particles from incorporating CCA-treated wood showed optimum bending strength, IB strength, and dimensional stability at a cement/wood ratio of 3.0, a finding that is in agreement with previously published work on CBP made with particles from untreated wood. This study suggests that CCA-treated wood removed from service can be used for manufacturing CBP at a cement/wood ratio of 3.0.

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