Cement-bonded straw board subjected to accelerated processing

Agricultural residues offer great promise and new challenges as replacement for wood in engineered wood products. Wheat straw, for example, offers desirable geometric and mechanical attributes for replacement of wood in cement-bonded particleboard. The inhibitory effects of wheat straw on hydration of cement, however, represent the major obstacle against development of cement-bonded strawboard. Accelerated processing techniques involving carbonation reactions were successfully employed to produce cement-based board products incorporating wheat straw. Comprehensive mechanical, durability and physical tests confirmed the high potential of cement-bonded strawboard as a versatile building product capable of meeting the requirements in demanding applications. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.