Utilization of Mass of Industrial Hemp in the Production of Medium-density Fibreboards (MDF)

Abstract

In the near past, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa) found main application in the production of ropes andfabrics. At the present moment, this crop finds increasingly big application for pharmaceutical purposes and in the cosmetics industry. As aresult of which not only hurds, but whole stalks remain as waste from this production. On the other hand, MDF, which on a world scale are thesecond production of wood-based boards in terms of volume after that of veneer plywood, allow at least partial inclusion of non-woodylignocellulosic raw materials in their composition. That is why, in this paper, an investigation about the possibility for inclusion of mass of hempstalks in the MDF composition is presented.Under laboratory conditions, previously washed hemp stalks were defibred. The defibration was performed in a laboratory crusherdefibrator for 2 min. Under laboratory conditions, MDF with participation of mass of hemp stalks form 0% to 100% in the MDF compositionwere produced. The content of mass of hemp stalks was increased by a step of 10%. The boards were produced at a temperature of hot pressingof 185 °C, with 10% participation of urea-formaldehyde resin (UFR) and have a density of 850 kg/m3.The effect of the content of mass of hemp stalks on the physicomechanical indicators of MDF was established. Regression equationsfor this effect on the individual physicomechanical indicators were also derived. It has been established in case of increase of what share in thecomposition of boards, most significant deterioration of the MDF indicators is observed. On this basis, a recommendation for the maximumjustified content of mass of hemp stalks in the MDF composition was derived.