Iranian Journal of Wood and Paper Industries

Iranian Journal of Wood and Paper Industries

Manufacturing and Characterization of Binder-less Particleboard from Date Palm Residues

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
mahyar moradmand 1
Hamid Zarea Hosseinabadi 2
hossein mahdavi 3
1 Department of Wood and Paper Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
2 , Department of Wood and Paper Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3 School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ijwp.2025.2061641.1707
Abstract
Problem definition and objectives: In recent decades, deforestation and diminishing natural wood supplies have significantly impacted the wood panel industry. At the same time, increasing demand for wood-based panels and rising health and environmental concerns regarding formaldehyde emissions from synthetic adhesives have created an urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Among various agricultural residues, date palm trunks rich in lignocellulosic compounds and abundantly available in arid regions like southern Iran offer a promising raw material for developing environmentally friendly, binderless particleboards. This study aims to fabricate such panels without using synthetic resins, relying on self-bonding mechanisms activated under controlled hot-pressing conditions. It employs Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using a Box–Behnken design to systematically examine the effects of pressing parameters on final product performance.
Methodology: Date palm trunks were sourced, debarked, and flaked using a ring flaker machine. Flakes were conditioned to three initial moisture levels: 25%, 50%, and 75%. The mats provided from flakes, were then hot-pressed at three target densities (650, 750, and 850 kg/m³), at pressing temperatures of 180°C, 190°C, and 200°C, and for durations of 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Mechanical tests included Modulus of Rupture (MOR), Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), and Internal Bond Strength (IB); physical properties such as density, water absorption, and thickness swelling were also assessed. All tests followed DIN EN standards, and data analysis and model optimization were performed using Minitab and Design Expert software.
Results: Panel density ranged from 648 to 1206 kg/m³. Increasing press temperature and target density significantly reduced water absorption and thickness swelling, with the lowest values observed at 200°C and 900 kg/m³. Water absorption dropped to 62%, and swelling to 269%, demonstrating the crucial role of pressing conditions in panel dimensional stability. The internal bonding strength reached up to 0.32 MPa, MOR up to 11.8 MPa, and MOE peaked at 2989 MPa. These results indicate that some panel configurations met the P2 type requirements of industrial standards for dry interior applications.
Conclusion: The study confirms the feasibility of manufacturing binderless particleboards from date palm trunk residues using optimized hot-pressing conditions. These panels exhibited acceptable mechanical and physical properties for interior use, without relying on synthetic adhesives. This method supports sustainable agricultural residue utilization, reduces environmental pollution from synthetic resin (especially formaldehyde-based resins), and provides economic value to arid rural regions. Future research should investigate the incorporation of surface treatments, chemical pretreatments, or hydrophobic agents to further enhance panel performance and moisture resistance.


Methodology:
Date palm trunks were sourced, debarked, and flaked using a ring flaker machine. Flakes were conditioned to three initial moisture levels: 25%, 50%, and 75%. The mats provided from flakes, were then hot-pressed at three target densities (650, 750, and 850 kg/m³), at pressing temperatures of 180°C, 190°C, and 200°C, and for durations of 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Mechanical tests included Modulus of Rupture (MOR), Modulus of Elasticity (MOE), and Internal Bond Strength (IB); physical properties such as density, water absorption, and thickness swelling were also assessed. All tests followed DIN EN standards, and data analysis and model optimization were performed using Minitab and Design Expert software.

Results:
Panel density ranged from 648 to 1206 kg/m³. Increasing press temperature and target density significantly reduced water absorption and thickness swelling, with the lowest values observed at 200°C and 900 kg/m³. Water absorption dropped to 62%, and swelling to 269%, demonstrating the crucial role of pressing conditions in panel dimensional stability. The internal bonding strength reached up to 0.32 MPa, MOR up to 11.8 MPa, and MOE peaked at 2989 MPa. These results indicate that some panel configurations met the P2 type requirements of industrial standards for dry interior applications.

Conclusion:
The study confirms the feasibility of manufacturing binderless particleboards from date palm trunk residues using optimized hot-pressing conditions. These panels exhibited acceptable mechanical and physical properties for interior use, without relying on synthetic adhesives. This method supports sustainable agricultural residue utilization, reduces environmental pollution from synthetic resin (especially formaldehyde-based resins), and provides economic value to arid rural regions. Future research should investigate the incorporation of surface treatments, chemical pretreatments, or hydrophobic agents to further enhance panel performance and moisture resistance.
Keywords
Binder-less panel
.date palm
hot pressing
self-bonding mechanism
mechanical properties

Subjects

[1] Ashori, A. and Nourbakhsh, A., 2008. Effect of press cycle time and resin content on physical and mechanical properties of particleboard panels made from the underutilized low-quality raw materials. Industrial Crops and Products, pp. 225–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2008.02.015.
[2] Arian, A. and Vlosky, R.P., 2023.  An overview of the wood products sector in Iran: 2007-2022. Journal of Forest Business Research, 2(2), pp. 146–169. https://doi.org/10.62320/jfbr.v2i2.40.
[3] Dehghani Firouzabadi, M. R. and Ghorbannezhad, P., 2014. Investigation on MDF market demand in Iran. International Journal of Lignocellulosic Products, 1(1), 72-81.‏ (In Persian).
[4] Lee, S. H., Lum, W. C., Boon, J. G., Kristak, L., Antov, P., Pędzik, M. and Pizzi, A., 2022. Particleboard from agricultural biomass and recycled wood waste: a review. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 20, pp. 4630–4658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.08.166.
[5] Okuda, N. and Sato, M., 2004. Manufacture and mechanical properties of binderless boards from kenaf core. Journal of Wood Science, pp. 53–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-003-0528-8.
[6] Solt, P., Konnerth, J., Gindl-Altmutter, W., Kantner, W., Moser, J., Mitter, R. and van Herwijnen, H. W., 2019. Technological performance of formaldehyde-free adhesive alternatives for particleboard industry. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 94, pp. 99–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijadhadh.2019.04.007.
[7] Lamaming, J., Hashim, R., Sulaiman, O., Sugimoto, T., Sato, M. and Hiziroglu, S., 2014. Measurement of some properties of binderless particleboards made from young and old oil palm trunks. Measurement, 47, 813-819. https://doi.org/101016/j.measurement.2013.10.007.
[8] Barbu, M. C., Montecuccoli, Z., Förg, J., Barbeck, U., Klímek, P., Petutschnigg, A. and Tudor, E. M., 2021. Potential of brewer’s spent grain as a potential replacement of wood in pMDI, UF or MUF bonded particleboard. Polymers, 13(3), 319.‏ https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13030319.
[9] Jahan Latibari, A., Hosseinzadeh, A., Nourbakhsh, A., Karegarfard, A. and Golbabaei, F., 1996. Investigation of the properties of particleboard made from palm residues. Journal of Wood and Paper Research, 1(148), pp. 53–108. (In Persian)
[10] Chao, C.C.T. and Krueger, R.R., 2007. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.): Overview of biology, uses, and cultivation. HortScience, pp. 1077–1082. https://doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.42.5.1077.
[11] Hashim, R., Nadhari, W. N. A. W., Sulaiman, O., Hiziroglu, S., Sato, M., Kawamura, F. and Tanaka, R., 2011. Evaluations of some properties of exterior particleboard made from oil palm biomass. Journal of Composite Materials, 45(16), 1659-1665.‏ https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998310385028.
[12] Saadaoui, N., Rouilly, A., Fares, K. and Rigal, L., 2013. Characterization of date palm lignocellulosic by-products and self-bonded composite materials obtained thereof. Materials & Design, 50, 302-308.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2013.03.011.
[13] Nasir, M., Khali, D. P., Jawaid, M., Tahir, P. M., Siakeng, R., Asim, M. and Khan, T. A., 2019. Recent development in binderless fiber-board fabrication from agricultural residues: A review. Construction and Building Materials, 211, 502-516.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.03.279.
[14] Faiad, A., Alsmari, M., Ahmed, M. M., Bouazizi, M. L., Alzahrani, B. and Alrobei, H., 2022. Date palm tree waste recycling: treatment and processing for potential engineering applications. Sustainability, 14(3), 1134.‏ https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031134.
[15] Baskaran, M., Azmi, N. A. C. H., Hashim, R. and Sulaiman, O., 2017. Properties of binderless
particleboard and particleboard with addition of urea formaldehyde made from oil palm trunk waste. Journal of Physical Science, 28(3), 151-159.‏ https://doi.org/10.21315/jps2017.28.3.10.
[16] Laemsak, N. and Okuma, M., 2000. Development of boards made from oil palm frond II: Properties of binderless boards from steam-exploded fibers of oil palm frond. Journal of Wood Science, pp. 322–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00766224.
[17] Sun, Y. C., Lin, Z., Peng, W. X., Yuan, T. Q., Xu, F., Wu, Y. Q. and Sun, R. C. (2014). Chemical changes of raw materials and manufactured binderless boards during hot pressing: lignin isolation and characterization. Bioresources, 9(1), 1055-1071.‏ https://doi.org/10.15376/biores.9.1.1055-1071.
[18] Nadhari, W. N. A. W., Ishak, N. S., Danish, M., Atan, S., Mustapha, A., Abd Karim, N. and Yahaya, A. N. A., 2020. Mechanical and physical properties of binderless particleboard made from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) with addition of natural binder. Materials Today: Proceedings, 31, 287-291.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.06.009.
[19] Hashim, R., Saari, N., Sulaiman, O., Sugimoto, T., Hiziroglu, S., Sato, M. and Tanaka, R., 2010. Effect of particle geometry on the properties of binderless particleboard manufactured from oil palm trunk. Materials & Design, 31(9), 4251-4257.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2010.04.012.
[20] Hashim, R., Nadhari, W. N. A. W., Sulaiman, O., Hiziroglu, S., Sato, M., Kawamura, F. and Tanaka, R., 2011. Evaluations of some properties of exterior particleboard made from oil palm biomass. Journal of Composite Materials, 45(16), 1659-1665.‏ https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998310385028.
Iranian Journal of Wood and Paper Industries
Volume 16, Issue 3
Autumn 2025
Pages 287-302