Abstract
Chinese tallow tree is a noxious, invasive plant in the southeastern United States. It is generally considered a nuisance and has no current commercial use. The objective of this research was to determine the technical feasibility of using the stem wood of this species for particleboard, fiberboard, and structural flakeboard. Due to its rapid growth, Chinese tallow tree could be a leading raw material for bio-based composite panels. This preliminary study indicated that Chinese tallow tree can be successfully used for all three composite panel types to produce panels meeting various American National Standards Institute grades based modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond.
Keywords
fiberboard,
invasive species,
particleboard,
stiffness,
strength,
utilization
Citation
Shupe, Todd F.; Groom, Leslie H.; Eberhardt, Thomas L.; Rials, Timothy G.; Hse, Chung Y.; Pesacreta, Thomas. 2006. Mechanical and physical properties of composite panels manufactured from Chinese tallow tree furnish. Forest Products Journal, Vol. 56(6): 64-67