Properties of particleboard produced from post-industrial UF- and PF-bonded plywood

An approach based on the recycling of waste plywood as a recovered wood resource for the particleboard industry is described. It is demonstrated that post-industrial urea- (UF) and phenol-formaldehyde (PF) bonded plywood can be effectively shredded to the form of the recovered particles that can be a valuable material in particleboard manufacturing. The effects of shredding conditions and binder type on the recovered particles characteristics and the mechanical properties of the particleboards were analyzed. It is shown that the substitution of 20–100% of virgin particles with the recovered material is possible without affecting the performance of the particleboard.