Abstract
Experimental binderless particleboards were made from various sizes of Rhizophora spp. particles. The experimental samples were made by cold pressing the particles to a target density of 1 gm/cm(3). The internal bond strength and dimensional stability of the disks were evaluated based on Japanese standards. The experimental results showed that the internal bond strength and dimensional stability of the samples were enhanced as the particle size decreased. The microstructure of samples was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). An X-ray diffraction (XRD) procedure was used to study the crystalline structure of binderless particleboard samples. The results indicated that different particle size did not change the crystalline structure, but the degree of crystallinity decreased when the particle size was decreased. The profile density distribution was estimated using an X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner. The CT results indicated that samples having smaller particle size had lower variation of density distribution profile compared with those samples made with larger particle size. Based on the overall results of this study, raw material from Rhizophora spp. wood can be used to fabricate binderless particleboard without using any adhesives, and these could be used as a phantom in a radiotherapy center. This study indicated that particle size affected the sample properties.