Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) is a cheap agro by-product and a renewable resource, which consists mainly of substituted phenols. A CNSL-based reactive resin was used in this study as binder for particleboards. The resin was prepared by heating a mixture of CNSL, phenol, and hexamethylenetetramine. Properties of the board, viz. water absorption, tensile strength parallel to the surface, tensile strength perpendicular to the surface, and compressibility are determined. The effect of the resin content, P:F ratio of resin, and CNSL:P ratio of resin on the properties of particleboard are also studied. It is found that about 15 resin in the molding formulation is essential to give a board of acceptable quality. It is possible to include up to 20 CNSL without any deterioration in the properties of the board. This is significant from the conservation viewpoint.
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