DEVELOPMENT OF COMPOSITES PLYWOOD FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTES MIXED HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE PLASTIC WASTES

Abstract

This research aims to develop composites plywood using rice straw, sawdust, and mixed high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste. The composites plywood was conducted by blending 33.33 wt.% minced rice straw with 66.67 wt.% sawdust, with an additional 0-10 wt.% of HDPE plastic to replace rice straw and sawdust. The materials were mixed with resin and hardener as binders and then pressed using a hydraulic machine at room temperature for 3 days. It was found that all composite plywood samples exhibited smooth surface textures and consistent thickness. The physical properties of a density and a water absorption were shown as 0.88-0.98 g/cm³ and 8.96-18.64 %, respectively. Thermal conductivity was appeared in the range of 0.202-0.222 W/m·K. The mechanical property of specifically bending strength was presented at 5.52-12.49 N/mm². It was exhibited that the bending strength decrease with increasing plastic content. The properties of composites plywood were evaluated according to Japanese industrial standards (JIS A 5905-2003) and found the corresponding to the standards for medium density veneers. However, the optimal fabrication of composite plywood is including the removal of rice straw and replacing it with HDPE plastic of 5wt.%. This research is a guideline for the development of composites plywood and the enhancement of the value of waste in the future.