KR20140085484A - Method for producing fibreboards utilizing palm biomass - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing fiberboard using 100% oil palm stem (OPT). The present invention also relates to a method of making a fiberboard using a mixture comprising OPT, rubber wood (RW) and mixed tropical wool wood (MTH). The fiberboard manufacturing method using OPT, rubber wood (RW) and mixed tropical cow wood (MTH) is as follows:
(i) slicing oil palm stalks (OPT), rubber trees (RW) and (MTH) into a size range of 0.012 to 0.050 m;
(ii) blending the OPT chips, fragmented at a compounding ratio of 5 to 50% of the fragmented OPT, 5 to 50% of RW and 5 to 50% of MTH, with the RW and MTH chips;
(iii) treating the mixture from step (ii) in a digestion tank at a temperature of 150 to 180 DEG C for a period of 100 to 400 seconds under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar;
(iv) mechanically smoothing a mixture of OPT, RW and MTH chips in a steam press smelter where the chips are converted into smelted fibers;
(v) applying to the OPT smelted fibers from step (iv) from 0.5 to 2.5% wax on a dry weight basis of 6 to 12% resin and / or fiber based on the dry weight of the fibers;
(vi) converting the resinized fibers obtained from step (v) into a mat;
(vii) pressing the mat from step (vi) at a temperature of 160 to 220 DEG C for a time period of 2 to 5 minutes.
For the method of making a fiberboard using 100% OPT, this method includes steps (i), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) mentioned above using only 100% do.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing fibreboard using palm biomass,

The present invention relates to a method for producing fibreboard using palm biomass.

For many years in Asia, the wood composites industry has focused on rubber wood (RW) and pine as traditional materials in panel manufacture, particularly fiberboard manufacturing. There is a general trend that the supply of these traditional raw materials decreases, followed by the cost of raw materials. There is a need to find innovative ways to use non-traditional raw materials such as oil palm biomass to maintain manufacturing capacity. The area of oil palm farms in Malaysia is estimated at about 4.7 million hectares in 2010, accounting for nearly 5% of the area. Approximately 26.8 million oil palm trees are available from an estimated 0.2 million hectares of open area and an average of 134 palm trees / ha, which is equivalent to an 8 million ton dry weight of oil palm stem (OPT).

At present, the fiberboard industry in Malaysia is using a mixture of silkwood and RW to produce fiberboard to sustain its manufacturing capacity. The raw material is obtained from the rest of the sawmill and other wood based activities that can be mixed with different ratios of RW. Thus, fiberboard manufacturing will sometimes result in discrepancies in color and physical / mechanical properties. Substitution of one feedstock with another feedstock or significant movement within a species mixture can cause large variations in the mechanical properties of the fiberboard. In fiberboard manufacture, the quality of the smelted fiber is determined by the species, size and distribution of the wood / fiber, the pretreatment conditions of the steam pressure, the retention time in the digester, the applied force, the geometry of the smelting plate, And the amount of time it is retained.

The present invention relates to a method for producing fiberboard using palm biomass. The method comprising:

i) slicing the OPT into a size range of 0.012 m to 0.05 m;

ii) treating the spun-off OTP obtained from step (i) under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 ° C for a period of 100 to 400 seconds;

iii) mechanically smelting the OPT chip obtained from step (ii) at a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 DEG C at which the OPT chip is converted into a smoothed fiber in a steam press smelter;

iv) applying to the OPT smelted fibers from step (iii) from 0.5 to 2.5% wax on a dry weight basis of 6 to 12% resin and / or fiber based on the dry weight of the fibers;

v) transforming the resinized fibers obtained from step (iv) into a mat;

vi) pressing the mat from step (v) at a temperature of 160 to 220 DEG C for a time period of 2 to 5 minutes

.

The smelted fibers obtained from step (iii) are optionally subjected to a chemical treatment. The chemical treatment involves mixing OPT-smelted fibers with a mixture of urea, acetic acid and water.

The mat obtained from step (v) is pressed to a thickness of 0.003 m to 0.032 m. The OPT smelted fiber blended with the resin and / or wax obtained from step (iv) is prepared in a predetermined amount before being introduced into the molding machine for the formation of the mat in step (v). The predetermined amount of smelted fiber will ensure the manufacture of high density fibreboard (HDF), medium density fibreboard (MDF) or low density fibreboard (LDF). The fiber board obtained after step (vi) is cooled.

The resins are urea formaldehyde, UF, melamine urea formaldehyde, MUF, phenol formaldehyde, PF, or any combination thereof. The wax is selected from synthetic amides, paraffin, paraffin / EAA, paraffin / micro and paraffin / PF. The wax is applied simultaneously with or prior to the resin in step (iii).

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of making a fiberboard using a mixture of oil palm trunk (OPT), rubber wood (RW) and mixed tropical hardwood (MTH). The method comprising:

i) slicing oil palm stalks (OPT), rubber wood (RW) and mixed tropical wool (MTH) into a size range of 0.012 m to 0.05 m;

ii) combining OPT chips with RW and MTH chips at a blending ratio of 5 to 50% of OPT, 5 to 50% RW on a dry weight basis and 5 to 50% MTH on a dry weight basis, on a dry weight basis step;

iii) treating the mixture obtained from step (ii) under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 DEG C for a period of 100 to 400 seconds;

iv) mechanically smelting a mixture of OPT, RW and MTH chips obtained from step (iii) at a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 ° C at which the chips are converted into fibers smoothing the chips in a steam press smelter ;

v) applying to the smoothed fibers of the mixed OPT and RW and MTH obtained from step (iv) from 0.5% to 2.5% wax, based on the dry weight of the fibers and / or fibers of 6 to 12% step;

vi) transforming the resinized fibers obtained from step (v) into a mat;

vii) pressing the mat from step (vi) at a temperature of 160 to 220 DEG C for a time period of 2 to 5 minutes

.

The smelted fibers obtained from step (iv) are optionally subjected to chemical treatment. The chemical treatment involves mixing a mixture of OPT, RW and MTH smelted fibers with a mixture of urea, acetic acid and water.

The mat obtained from step (vi) is pressed to a thickness of 0.003 m to 0.032 m. The mixture of OPT, RW and MTH smelted fibers combined with the resin obtained from step (v) and / or the wax is prepared in a predetermined amount before being introduced into the molding machine for the formation of the mat in step (vi). The predetermined amount of smelted fiber will ensure the production of high density fiberboard (HDF), medium density fiberboard (MDF) or low density fiberboard (LDF). The fiberboard obtained after step (vii) is cooled.

The resin is urea formaldehyde (UF), melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF), phenol formaldehyde (PF), or any combination thereof. The wax is selected from synthetic amides, paraffin, paraffin / EAA, paraffin / micro and paraffin / PF. The wax is applied simultaneously with or in advance of the resin in step (v).

The invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and not limitation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a flow chart for making a fiberboard from a mixture of oil palm stem (OPT), rubber wood (RW) and mixed tropical wovens (MTH).
2 shows a flow chart for producing a fiberboard from 100% oil palm stalks (OPT).
Figure 3 shows the properties of a fibrous sheet subjected to chemical treatment during the smelting process.

The present invention relates to a method of making a fiberboard using a mixture of 100% oil palm stem (OPT) and OPT. The present invention also relates to a method of producing a fiberboard using a rubber wood (RW) and a mixed tropical wool wood (MTH) at different blending ratios. OPT is used as an alternative raw material for fiberboard manufacturing that can replace RW due to supply depletion of RW material. A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention is disclosed herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed preferred embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention and that the invention may be embodied in various forms. Accordingly, the details disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations, but merely as teaching to those having the skill in the art to which the invention pertains and on the basis of the claims.

To maintain manufacturing capacity, fiberboard manufacturers use alternative materials as an alternative to RW. Currently, most of the fiberboard industry uses mixed RW that can be blended with MTH for the production of fiberboard. The use of OPT could become inevitable in the future due to the increased price of these materials and the shortage of supplies.

OPT is a waste generated as a byproduct when the tree is 25 years old after it has been harvested. Up to now, OPT has been used as an organic material and used as a raw material in the plywood industry. In addition, the OPT fiber has a length similar to that of the RW fiber. This indicates that OPT is a potential raw material for the production of fiberboard.

Fiberboard is a composite wood product formed by pulverizing wood with fibers, combining the fibers with waxes and resins, and applying a high temperature and high pressure to form the fiberboard. Unlike particle boards, fiberboard has a more uniform density throughout the plate. In addition, the fiberboard has a smooth, solid edge that can be machined. It can be finished in a smooth finish and can be grain printed, thus eliminating the need for veneers and laminates.

Since the fiberboard is smooth, uniform, and free from warping, it is useful for many applications ranging from furniture to molding. Builders use fiber boards for applications such as furniture, shelves, laminate flooring, decorative moldings and doors. Fiberboards are also valuable because of the quality of sound and heat. It can also be attached as a nail, glue, screw, staple or dug, which makes the fiberboard versatile as plankwood.

An essential element of the present invention is the use of OPT combined with 100% OPT and RW and MTH in high pressure steam during the digestion or softening step or during smelting or preferably during both digestion and smelting processes.

First, the original shape of the OPT is converted into a chip shape in the size range of 0.012 to 0.050 m by the ordinary chippers. Generally, oil palm logs are prepared similar to other common wood materials used in fiberboard manufacture such as RW and MTH. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a flow chart for producing a fiberboard from a mixture of oil palm stem (OPT), rubber wood (RW) and mixed tropical wool wood (MTH).

Fragmented OPT is blended with fragmented RW and MTH. The mixing ratio of the OPT: RW: MTH fragments is 5-50 wt%: 5-50 wt%: 5-50 wt%, respectively. The mixing ratio is based on dry weight calculation. The mixture of fragmented OPT, RW and MTH is converted to a smelted fiber during the thermomechanical smelting process. The mixture is subjected to high pressure steam treatment in the digester and smelter. Steam treatment is carried out at a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar and a temperature of 150 to 180 캜 for a period of 100 to 400 seconds. The steam treatment may take place in any pressure vessel and may further comprise a continuous digester. The continuous digester includes a screw conveyor capable of transferring OPT combined with RW and MTH chips to a smelter through a digester. The chips treated in a smelter at a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar and a temperature of 150 to 180 占 폚 are pulverized into yarn-like fibers suitable for fiberboard manufacture (smelted fibers). Alternatively, the mixture of OPT, RW and MTH fragments in the smelting process is subjected to chemical treatment. The chemical treatment involves mixing a mixture of fragmented OPT, RW and MTH with a mixture of urea, acid and water. The chemical treatment further increases the properties of the fiberboards shown in Table 3 and Fig.

The smelted fibers are then dried to a water content of about 12% or less over a time period of 1 to 2 minutes. A tube dryer is typically used to reduce the moisture content of the smelted fibers to a predetermined level. In addition, a conventional fiberboard dryer, such as a blowpipe of a blow-line system having an inlet temperature of about 120 to 170 ° C, can be used to dry the smelted fibers.

For compounding, the resin and / or wax emulsion is sprayed onto the fibers just prior to entering the dryer. In addition, any other desired additives may be applied to the fibers. The application of the wax is in the range of 0.5 to 2.5%, based on the dry weight of the fibers, to improve the flowability of the resin, which also provides additional moisture resistance. The wax emulsion is preferably added to impart water resistance and to assist in dispersing the resin on the entire surface of the fiber. Wax emulsions are well known in the art. Examples of wax emulsions are synthetic amides, paraffins, paraffin / EAA, paraffin / micro, paraffin / PE and the like. The resin and wax may also be applied by other conventional means known in the art, such as spray nozzles, tubes, or atomizers. The wax emulsion is preferably added to impart water resistance and to assist in dispersing the resin on the entire surface of the fiber. The resin and the wax can be applied individually, but it is preferable to add them simultaneously for uniformity.

A preferred resin used in the present invention is urea formaldehyde (UF) resin. UF is a relatively inexpensive, transparent thermosetting resin made from urea and formaldehyde in the presence of a weak base such as ammonia or pyridine. UF has high tensile strength, bending strength, low water absorption and mold shrinkage, high surface hardness, fracture elongation and volume resistivity. It is also desirable to incorporate melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) resin together with UF resin or instead of UF resin to impart additional water resistance to the fibers.

In lieu of or in addition to UF, other resins known in the art such as phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins may also be used in the present invention. PF resins are relatively inexpensive red / black resins for use in pressed wood products such as softwood plywood and flakes for external applications or oriented fiberboard. The UF or other resin is applied to the fibers at a concentration of at least 6%, preferably 6 to 12% by weight, based on the weight of the fibers.

Urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins are widely used as binders in the fiberboard industry. This is generally used as an aqueous colloidal solution with a solids content of 50 to 70%. The preparation of the UF resin is as follows:

a) Methylol: Pre-condensation of the urea and formaldehyde at a sufficient molar ratio (F: U ratio) of 1.0 to 5.0, preferably 1.0 to 3.0, under aqueous acidic or basic conditions.

b) Condensation: Increases molecular weight with elevated temperature and an additional factor at pH 3.0 to 5.0.

c) Neutralization: The urea is optionally added to lower the molar ratio from 1.2 to 1.8 and adjusted to pH 7.0 to 9.0 if necessary.

The resinized fibers are pneumatically conveyed to a molding machine, which will continuously deform the resinized fibers into a mat of uniformly distributed density. The amount of resinized fiber is determined before the fibers are introduced into the molding machine. The amount will determine the formation of high density fiberboard (HDF), medium density fiberboard (MDF) or low density fiberboard (LDF). The mat is pre-pressed to a thickness of about 0.1 m to 0.25 m before hot pressing.

Hot pressing applies heat and pressure to the resinized mat to cure the resin and bond the fibers to the solid plate. The pressing time is generally in the range of 2 to 5 minutes. The hot pressing temperature is in the range of about 160 to 220 캜, depending on the kind of the fiber board to be produced. The fiberboard is pressed in a thickness range of 0.003 to 0.032 m.

After pressing, the fiberboard is cooled before lamination. Next, the fiberboard is sanded prior to packaging for shipment and / or trimmed to final desired dimensions.

In another embodiment, 100% OPT is used in the production of fiberboard. OPT is first sliced into OPT chips in the size range of 0.012 to 0.050 m and then converted into smelted fibers during the thermo-mechanical smelting process. The 100% OPT chips go through high pressure steam in digester and smelter. The remaining processes for making the fiberboard using 100% OPT fibers are the same as the steps involved in fabricating the fiberboard using OPT fibers combined with RW and MTH (mentioned above). Figure 2 shows a flow chart for producing a fiberboard from an oil palm stem (OPT).

The following examples are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

Example  One

Resin production:

Treat aqueous formaldehyde solution (37%) and urea with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution (33%). The mixture, having a pH of 8-9 and a molar ratio of 3.8, is heated to elevated temperature with stirring for 30 minutes. The pH is adjusted to 4.7 by adding aqueous acid within 90 minutes. When a sufficient viscosity has been reached, add an aqueous NaOH solution to bring the pH to 8.5. The water is removed under vacuum until the desired solids content is reached. The solid content is cooled to a temperature of 30 < 0 > C, followed by addition of the element to a F: U molar ratio of 1: 5. Thereafter, the resin mixture is stirred for 60 minutes. The resulting resin from stirring is water-soluble and slightly opaque.

The resin has the following characteristics:

Solid content: 55%, 25 ° C Viscosity: 30 cps

Fiberboard  Produce:

OPT chips are treated with different steam pressures and preheat times during the smelting process without any chemical treatment. The steam pressure used to process the OPT chip is 2-8 bar and the cooking time is set to 100-400 seconds. The resulting fibers are mixed with urea formaldehyde (UF) resin and then used in the manufacture of 12 mm laboratory scale fiberboard. The average values of the fibrous sheet properties are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

Steam pressure and fiberboard properties Steam pressure (Bar) MOE (N / mm ² ) MOR (N / mm ² ) IB (N / mm ²⁾ TS (%) 2 2873.12 31.08 0.68 19.2 4 3328.89 37.03 0.69 16.96 6 3344.91 37.5 0.7 14.82 8 3312.74 35.98 0.64 13.27 EN  622-5 > 2500 > 22 > 0.6 <15 Note: MOE - Modulus of elasticity, MOR - Breaking rate, IB - internal joint, TS - Thickness expansion,
EN 622-5 - European standard, N / mm ² - Newton per square millimeter

Preheating time and fiberboard properties Warm-up time (seconds) MOE (N / mm ² ) MOR (N / mm ² ) IB (N / mm ²⁾ TS (%) 100 3247.62 35.66 0.63 16.79 200 3281.69 36.45 0.72 16.2 300 3280.30 35.44 0.7 15.73 400 3017.82 33.80 0.67 16.15 EN  622-5 > 2500 > 22 > 0.6 <15 Note: MOE - Modulus of elasticity, MOR - Breaking rate, IB - internal joint, TS - Thickness expansion,
EN 622-5 - European standard, N / mm ² - Newton per square millimeter

The properties of the fiberboard can be improved through chemical treatment under high steam pressure in the smelter process.

[UAW: urea (40-50%) + acetic acid (1-10%) + water (about 50%)]

UAW mixed with fiber (OPT + RW + MTH) after digestion process

Table 3 and Fig. 3 show the results of the properties of the fiber board subjected to the chemical treatment.

Characteristics of fiberboard treated with chemical treatment fiber:
UAW ratio
(weight%) No UAW UAW 1% UAW 2% UAW 3% UAW 4% Internal bonding
(N / mm2) 0.603 0.682 0.680 0.585 0.506 Release
(mg / 100g) 18.15 13.46 10.69 8.33 7.53

Claims (22)

i) slicing oil palm stalks (OPT) within a size range of 0.012 to 0.050 m;
ii) treating the spun-off OTP obtained from step (i) under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 ° C for a period of 100 to 400 seconds;
iii) converting the OPT chips obtained from step (ii) into smelted fibers under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 캜;
iv) applying to the OPT smelted fibers from step (iii) from 0.5 to 2.5% wax on a dry weight basis of 6 to 12% resin and / or fiber based on the dry weight of the fibers;
v) transforming the resinized fibers obtained from step (iv) into a mat;
vi) pressing the mat from step (v) at a temperature of 160 to 220 DEG C for a time period of 2 to 5 minutes.
The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (vi) the mat is pressed to a thickness of 0.003 to 0.032 m.
The method of claim 1, wherein the OPT smelted fiber from step (iv) is prepared in a predetermined amount before being introduced into the molding machine for forming the mat in step (v).
4. Process according to claim 3, characterized in that the predetermined amount of smelted fibers ensures the production of high density fiberboard (HDF), medium density fiberboard (MDF) or low density fiberboard (LDF).
The method of claim 1, wherein the smelted fibers obtained from step (iii) are subjected to a chemical treatment.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the chemical treatment comprises mixing OPT-smelted fibers with a mixture of urea, acetic acid, and water.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber board obtained after step (vi) is cooled.
The method of claim 1, wherein the resin is urea formaldehyde (UF), melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF), phenol formaldehyde (PF), or any combination thereof.
The method of claim 1, wherein the wax is selected from synthetic amide, paraffin, paraffin / EAA, paraffin / micro and paraffin / PE.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the wax is applied simultaneously with or prior to the resin in step (iv).
A fiber board produced according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
i) slicing an oil palm stem (OPT), a rubber tree (RW) and a mixed tropical wool (MTH) into a size range of 0.012 to 0.050 m;
ii) blending OPT chips with RW and MTH chips at a blending ratio of 5-50% fragmented OPT, 5-50% RW and 5-50% MTH;
iii) treating the mixture obtained from step (ii) under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 DEG C for a period of 100 to 400 seconds;
iv) converting the mixture of OPT, RW and MTH chips obtained from step (iii) into smelted fibers under a steam pressure of 2 to 8 bar at a temperature of 150 to 180 ° C;
v) applying to the OPT smelted fibers from step (iv) 0.5 to 2.5% wax on a dry weight basis of 6 to 12% resin and / or fiber on a dry weight basis of the fibers;
vi) transforming the resinized fibers obtained from step (v) into a mat;
vii) pressing the mat from step (vi) at a temperature of 160 to 220 DEG C for a time period of 2 to 5 minutes.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein in step (vii) the mat is pressed to a thickness of 0.003 to 0.032 m.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mixed OPT, RW and MTH smelted fibers from step (v) are prepared in predetermined amounts before being introduced into the molding machine for forming the mat in step (vi) Way.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined amount of smelted fiber ensures the production of a high density fiberboard (HDF), medium density fiberboard (MDF) or low density fiberboard (LDF).
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the smelted fibers obtained from step (iv) are subjected to a chemical treatment.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the chemical treatment comprises mixing a mixture of OPT, RW and MTH smelted fibers with a mixture of urea, acetic acid and water.
The method according to claim 12, wherein the fiber board obtained after step (vii) is cooled.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the resin is urea formaldehyde (UF), melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF), phenol formaldehyde, or any combination thereof.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wax is selected from synthetic amides, paraffin, paraffin EAA, paraffin / micro and paraffin / PE.
The method of claim 12, wherein the wax is applied simultaneously with or prior to the resin in step (v).
22. A fiberboard produced according to any one of claims 12 to 21.

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