Physical and Mechanical Properties of Binderless Corn Stover Bioboards

The elimination of toxic and synthetic binders from the manufacture of fibreboards and particleboards is important, considering environmental and health implications. The utilization of agricultural waste for the manufacture of boards is also beneficial to waste management and enhances sustainability in the manufacturing of boards. In this study, corn stover was utilized in the manufacture of binderless bioboards. The influence of production factors, or manufacturing parameters, on the physical and mechanical properties of the bioboards was investigated. The bioboards had a density between 669.9 kg/m3 and 986.4 kg/m3, and the water absorption was between 165% and 237%. The bioboards had modulus of elasticity ranging between 13.3 and 85.6 MPa, whilst the modulus of rupture varied between 0.149 and 0.835 MPa. Also, the internal bond strength of the corn stover boards varied between 0.43 and 1.17 MPa. Particle size emerged as the dominant parameter governing density, hygroscopic behaviour, and mechanical performance, indicating that fibre packing and interlocking outweighed thermal softening effects with the investigated processing parameters. Further treatment of the corn stover is required to improve the application of the boards for load-bearing and structural applications.