Mechanical Properties of Urea Formaldehyde Particle Board Composite

Particle boards were prepared from sawdust and urea-formaldehyde resin (UFR) on compression moulding machine. The particleboards were produced at a compression temperature of 150°C; a pressure of 10tons was applied for 15 minutes. The amount of sawdust was kept constant at 20g while UFR was varied from 30ml, 35ml, 40ml and 45ml respectively. The control sample (CS) was the 50ml UFR without any saw dust. The properties of the particleboards were tested using ASTM methods. The results showed that the properties of the particleboards are a function of the percentage composition of the binder (resin) and the filler (sawdust). The results showed that as the URF content increased from 30ml to 45ml, the mechanical properties increased. The hardness increased from 88.6 shoreA to 99 shoreA while the percentage of water absorption decreased as the UFR content increased. The swelling thickness decreased as UFR content increased. The density increased as URF content increased