ABSTRACT

Interest is growing everyday on proper utilization of wood waste resulting partly from poor saw doctoring techniques and lack of skillful machinist for furniture production and engineered wood products. The concept is to mitigate the scarcity of wood raw materials supply. This study seeks to investigate the properties of block-board as engineered wood product made from wood waste of Microbrelinia brazzavillensis, Brachystegia eurycoma, and cedrus atlastica to explore the viability of recovering of under desired dimension of wood for the production of block-boards. The strips were processed and subjected to test to determine the properties of the materials. The strips gotten from three different wood species were used for the fabrication of four samples of block-boards each. The sample specimens from the manufactured boards were tested for both physical and mechanical properties. The test data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression statistics analysis, and pie chart and bar chart analysis in order to test for the level of significance among the obtained parameters. Results showed the mean moisture content (MC) of 10.71%, 10.45%, 9.38%, and 10.86%. Water absorption mean value of 11.99%, 6.60%, 6.38%, and 6.65%. Density of 0.000659g/cm³, 0.000690g/cm³, 0.000715g/cm³, and 0.000662g/cm³. Comprehensive strength value of 0.453N/mm², 0.409N/mm², 0.397N/mm², 0.416N/mm² static bending: MOE 1265N/mm² and MOR 85.9 N/mm² and impact test. Considering the contradictions about property changes in wood, it was presumed that eventually alterations were of little account and may be observed by the effects of other different samples. (i.e difference in density). Therefore, standardized methods were preferred in the study as they are proven to be reliable and allowing comparing the results of recent literature values of wood.

Keywords; Wood, block-boards, wood strips