Eco-Friendly (Agro-waste): Alternatives to Wood-based Particleboard

Wood composite industries demand more wood raw material everyday despite the fact that the forest resources are diminishing. The decline in wood material source has led researchers to study non-wood ligno-cellulosic biomass utilization in composite manufacturing including particleboard. Particleboard composites with maize cob and water melon peels particle materials are likely to overcome the cost barrier for wide spread application in building construction and industries. It is therefore expected that the incorporation of maize cob and water melon peels particles and waste polythene as particleboard materials will promote the use of low – cost by – products and at the same time, have the potential for conserving energy – intensive wood product and thereby reducing the cost of particleboard products. The authors hope that the developed particleboard composites can be use in medium density particleboards for general purpose requirements like panelling, ceiling, partitioning e.tc.