OSB Panels with Balsa Wood Waste and Castor Oil Polyurethane Resin

This work presents a study for using Balsa wood (Ochroma pyramidale) waste in the production of oriented strand boards (OSB) agglomerated with castor oil polyurethane resin. For this study, were produced OSB panels with different densities (300 kg/m(3) and 400 kg/m(3)), with 10 mm thickness and castor oil polyurethane resin in different contents (11% and 15%). The Balsa wood particles were characterized by physical, chemical and anatomical tests that identified the potential of this by-product as raw material for the production of OSB panels. Subsequently, the thermo-physical-mechanical properties of low density OSB panels produced with Balsa wood waste were determined. The results indicated that panels with a density of 400 kg/m(3) and a resin content of 15% obtained a performance that classifies them as OSB type 1-internal and non-structural use panels according to the European Standard EN 300: 2002-OSB-definitions, classification and specifications.