The aim of this study was to manufacture and evaluate particleboards made with two alternative materials, seeking to develop a sustainable production process. Particles from Bambusa vulgaris Schrad were used because of the fast production cycle of this species. The binder used was castor oil (Ricinus communis L.) based polyurethane resin, since it is partially produced by a renewable source and it is considered to be non-toxic. For the characterization of the material, boards made of bamboo particles smaller than 2.4 mm, combined with 5%, 10% and 15% resin content in relation to the bamboo-particle mass, were manufactured at laboratory scale. Specimens were evaluated according to the Brazilian standard NBR 14810 - agglomerate wood boards. Before the longitudinal compression tests, the specimens were tested by means of a non-destructive ultrasound evaluation. The results showed that the boards with 10% resin content were not statistically different from those with 15% resin content, and both were superior to boards with 5% resin content. Most of the board properties were inferior to those of commercial boards. It was not possible to correlate ultrasonic pulse velocity across the specimens with longitudinal compression strength.
Castor oil; Bambusa vulgaris; Non-destructive tests; Polyurethane; Particleboards
