The potential use of Ricinus communis L. (Castor) stalks as a lignocellulosic resource for particleboards

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) stalks, which are a readily available by-product of this plant mainly cultivated for seed production, derived from experimental plantations grown in Northern Greece during the period April-October 1996 were assessed for their suitability as feed stocks for direct substitution of wood in particleboard. The average stalk yield of castor reached about 10 dry t/ha, which is higher than the average yield of forest in temperate zones. After harvesting, castor stalks were dried in a greenhouse to about 12% moisture content, and chipped by an automobile chipper and re-chipped in a hammermill. Castor particles and industrial wood particles mixed in various proportions were used as raw material for one-layer and for the middle layer of three-layer particleboards. A commercial E, grade UF-resin was used as binder. Castor particles were characterized by a lower slenderness ratio and lower bulk density than industrial wood particles. The evaluation of the mechanical and hygroscopic properties of panels showed the following results: Partial substitution of wood by castor stalks resulted in the deterioration of all board properties. The presence of the unlignified pith and the configuration of castor particles seem to be responsible for the deleterious effect of castor stalks on board properties. However, comparing the properties of the boards produced in this study to relevant European and American Standards, it was found that, with the exception of screwholding strength for three-layer boards, the experimental one layer- and three-layer boards containing up to 25% and 75%, castor particles respectively meet or exceed the Standards requirements for interior boards. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.