Quality improvement of laminated board made from oil palm trunk at various outer layer using phenol formaldehyde adhesive

Characteristic of laminated board from oil palm trunk (OPT) is very low in quality. The effort to improved it's quality done by using the outer layer from high density wood. The purpose of this experiment was to analyzed the effects of the outer layer on physical and mechanical properties of OPT and to obtain optimum treatment to fulfills JAS 234:2003. All of laminated board was made of 3 layers, and for the middle layer was made by densified-OPT. Then for the outer layer was made of sengon and meranti wood. The sample size was 5 cm (width) × 3 cm (thick) × 45 cm (length). The various outer layer of laminated board were A (OPT/densified OPT/OPT); B (Sengon/densified OPT/OPT); C (Sengon/densified OPT/sengon); D (Meranti/densified OPT/OPT) and E (Meranti/densified OPT/meranti). The results showed that the moisture content, density, thickness swelling, delamination, MOR and MOE were 6.10-8.48%; 0.40-0.63 g/cm³; 6.43-13.20%; 0%; 168.79-438.29 kg/cm² and 30115-100454 kg/cm², respectively. The moisture content and delamination fulfills JAS 234:2003, while density and thickness swelling did not fulfill standard. Whereas for MOR and MOE value, only type D and E that fulfill standard. There are strongth relationship between density and mechanical properties, such as MOR and MOE value. The optimum treatment in this reseach to made laminated board made from OPT was type D that using the meranti as outer layer. (paper)