Designing Agrowaste Composite Boards

With out the knowledge if the problem coming off the production line or in storage I will address both.

Production: not letting UF set up

Storage: UF is not water proof. Composites bonded with UF will warp with moisture. Store in a climate controlled environment.

Safety: Composites bonded with Urea Formaldehyde are known to give off Formaldehyde gas. Which has been found to be hazardous to occupants in buildings that the products are used.

Hi ozzb

Thank you for the explanation. Yes! We understand that UF is not advisable. We tried that only because, the material is "dirt cheap" here in India! As regards the Formaldehyde "emission"... We were able to address that through a "sunlight exposure" mechanism, which removes almost 99+% of the residual Formaldehyde. But the "other" problems exist! Thus, when the process here addresses the Formaldehyde emission, does it not make sense that we try to find ways to address "other" problems? Ultimately the Cost is also a factor

Thanks again ....

Ozzb is correct about the Formaldehyde... Being in Construction, both on land and water and some air, for a greater part of my life, I have dealt with just about every new composite panel , as it came out, good and bad. This appears to be very "low tech", construction grade panel, so I would look closely at the Plywood Industry and research at the innovations they have had to make to solve those very same problems--Warping, density, weight, pressures, structural requirements for various applications, Environmental problems with glues (Formaldehyde, Latexes, Epoxies, Resorcinol, etc.), Cost per thickness of lamination, on and on--This is very solvable, and, I am sure, has already been solved for you. Just get out and look, like you are doing now..

Some Sequences of Agrowastes Composites Board Production:

Agrowastes Composite Being Filled in Mold and Compacted

Coconut Leaf Splinters - The Starting Raw materials

Agrowastes Molded Composite Board being Lifted out of the Mold

Another Board molding using Agrowastes Composite

Preparing the Molded Board to be converted into MOLDED DOORS (Finished and PU Coated Molded Doors are in the background)

Hand-Crafted Wood Substitute MOLDED DOOR ... along with the Work-Group

Here, it may be noted that the basic Molding (namely the First Composite-Board) has been molded using UF Resin. Other superior qualities are imparted using Higher quality Thermosets such as Epoxies, PU's and Acrylics.

We are studying the long-term impact... Our works were completed during December (2012) end, and we are looking at long term effects ... and observing... SO FAR SO GOOD!

pvhramani