The giant reed, Arundo donax (A. donax) is a fast and naturally growing species in the Mediterranean Area indicated as one of the 15 invasive species with greatest impact by the European Commission within the Ecosystem Vulnerability Key Actrion. It is a greatly available but non-fully exploited material regarded as a problem both in agriculture and in watercourse management. This study explores the potential use of A. donax as an alternative material in the production of particleboard panels. The research, conducted in collaboration with the industrial sector, evaluates the mechanical and physical properties of sandwich particleboards in which part of the recycled wood chips are replaced with varying percentages of A. donax chips only in the core of the board. The work demonstrates the feasibility of such a board using industrial procedures and the capability of A. donax to improve the physical and mechanical performance of the recycled wood particleboard without altering the production process or adding resin. The particleboards were manufactured in three densities (550, 680 and 750 kg/m³) and tested for thickness swelling, surface soundness, internal bond and bending strength. The results reveal that particleboards containing 20–35 % of A. donax by mass, particularly for high densities, improved mechanical properties and reduced the thickness swelling, meeting the requirements for class P4 particleboards resulting in an upgrade of the wood recycled panel's classification. This investigation highlights the viability of integrating A. donax into particleboard production, potentially reducing reliance on imported wood, improving the mechanical properties of recycled wood particleboards and promoting sustainable and locally sourced materials.

中文翻译：

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由回收木材和 Arundo donax 制成的混合刨花板的机械特性


巨型芦苇 Arundo donax （A. donax） 是地中海地区一种快速自然生长的物种，被欧盟委员会在生态系统脆弱性关键法案中指出是影响最大的 15 种入侵物种之一。它是一种非常容易获得但未得到充分利用的材料，在农业和水道管理中都被视为一个问题。本研究探讨了 A. donax 作为刨花板生产替代材料的潜在用途。该研究是与工业部门合作进行的，评估了夹芯刨花板的机械和物理性能，其中部分回收的木屑仅在板芯被不同比例的 A. donax 木屑取代。这项工作证明了这种使用工业程序的板材的可行性，以及 A. donax 在不改变生产工艺或添加树脂的情况下改善回收木刨花板的物理和机械性能的能力。刨花板以三种密度（550、680 和 750 kg/m³）制造，并进行了厚度膨胀、表面坚固性、内部粘合和弯曲强度测试。结果表明，刨花板含有 20-35% 的 A. donax（质量），特别是高密度刨花板，改善了机械性能并减少了厚度膨胀，满足了 P4 级刨花板的要求，从而升级了木材回收板的分类。这项调查强调了将 A. donax 整合到刨花板生产中的可行性，有可能减少对进口木材的依赖，改善回收木刨花板的机械性能，并推广可持续和本地采购的材料。