Preparation and Characterization of Eco-friendly Plywood Produced with Waste Polystyrene

Abstract

In this study, polystyrene (PS) has been melted using gasoline and used as an adhesive in Plywood production. Nowadays, thermoset resins which have formaldehyde emission are used in Plywood production. This study aims to enable the recycling of waste polystyrene and produce eco-friendly Plywood. Beech veneer (BC) with a thickness of 2 mm is used as the wood material. On top of the BC, PS sheets with the same width and length dimensions, but with a thickness of 5 mm, were placed. Then, gasoline was sprayed onto the PS sheets. In this way, 6 layers of BC and 5 layers of PS plates were overlapped together and cold-pressed under 4 bar pressure for 24 hours without using any heat during the process. Similarly, 3 pieces of 3 mm Medium Density Board (MDF) and 10 mm PS plate (20 kg/m3 ) were overlapped each other and then cold-pressed. MDFs bonded with polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) were also prepared in 3 layers. Afterward, analysis samples were cut from these materials. Mechanical and physical characterization of the samples was conducted according to TSE (Turkish Standards Institution) standards, including bending, tensile, screw holding, density, water absorption, and thickness swelling analyses. According to results, it has been determined that the sample produced with PU has the highest mechanical strength and physical durability. The samples produced using melted PS exhibit mechanical strength and physical resistance above the standards. As a result of the study, it is concluded that waste PS, after being melted with gasoline, can be used as an adhesive in plywood production. Thus, eco-friendly plywood without formaldehyde emissions can be manufactured.