Development of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) from Plantation Grown Timber Species <i>Casuarina</i>

Abstract

In the present scenario of sourcing timber for panel industry from agroforestry, it has become very important to study the suitability of timbers for various end use applications. As use of Plantation grown species for different panel production possess various challenges in processing due to inherent defects present in the plantation species. This study was conducted to determine the suitability of plantation grown timber species Casuarina equisetifolia as a raw material for making Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF). Refining parameters with pressure of 5 kg/cm2 and 6 kg/cm2 at refining time of 4 and 7 minutes have been studied. Test panels of thickness 12 mm were made with urea formaldehyde resin. Physical and Mechanical properties were evaluated according to IS 12406-2003. These results indicate that MDF panels can be made from wood fibers derived from Casuarina equisetifolia. The study was limited to lab scale. Additional work is needed to ascertain the performance of MDF panels from this species through pilot and production scale trials.