Improvement of physical and mechanical properties of particleboard made of apple tree pruning and sunflower stalk using titanium oxide nanoparticles

In this study the effects of titanium oxide nanoparticles, TiO₂, on the physical and mechanical properties of particleboards made of a mixture of apple pruning and sunflower stalk particles were investigated. Mixing ratios of apple pruning and sunflower stalk particles at five levels of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0 and content level of titanium oxide nanoparticles at three levels of 0, 4 and 8 wt% were considered as variables. Physical and mechanical properties including 2 and 24 h water absorption and thickness swelling, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond strength of the samples were measured based on the principals of European Standards. The results showed that adding increasing amount of nanoparticles and using a higher weight percentage of apple pruning particles improved flexural modulus, flexural strength and internal bonding strength of the boards. Moreover, using nano titanium oxide particles reduced water absorption and thickness swelling in all treatments. The optimum physical and mechanical performance was achieved for particleboards with 100 % apple pruning content and 8 wt% nano content level. Agricultural residues, apple pruning and sunflower stalk herein, can be introduced as cheap renewable sources of materials to the particleboard manufacturing industries.