Fibers of coffee husk and hulls for the production of particleboard

Recent interest in environment-friendly materials has led to the use of agricultural byproducts as raw material for the production of particleboards. The material used in this study are coffee husk and halls which are residues of coffee processing. Today, these materials are burnt on the field or dumped on land or in rivers. However, they contain a great amount of cellulose and hemicellulose which makes them similar to wood. The study showed that a partial replacement of wood up to 50% is possible at the production of particleboards. Depending on the type and amount of resin, the lab-made particleboards fulfil the requirements of European standards with respect to general use in dry conditions and partly in humid conditions. The results of mechanical, thermal, and hygric testing are presented.