Binderless fiberboards for sustainable construction. Materials, production methods and applications
Federica Vitrone, Diego Ramos, Francesc Ferrando, Joan Salvadó
Abstract
Fiberboards are readily available components which can be used in construction for various functions such as furniture, insulation, or soundproofing. Research in the field of fiberboards has developed considerably in trying to match the practical needs of the construction element together with the new environmental challenges, that favour the production of panels in using by-products without adhesives. This review article presents an overview on fiberboard production and may offer a way to establish all the necessary steps to make binderless fiberboards attractive on the market, by considering economic and sustainable issues. Feedstock procurement is analysed, considering the effect of chemical composition of raw material on fiberboard quality. Lignin represents the most important component for bonding ability. However, at the same time, the need to use a by-product, which may result in choosing a material with less lignin and more hemicelluloses, will worsen dimensional stability, and therefore, a pre-treatment of lignocellulosic material may be necessary. Many pre-treatments have been studied and optimised in recent years. This paper analyses mechanical, chemical, hydrothermal and biological ones, and considers the pros and cons of each one of them. The choice of pre-treatment depends on which result is to be achieved. Some applications are considered to conclude the production chain. What emerges is that the application phase is not yet fully developed and scaling up from laboratory to the industrial stage is not yet achieved.