Graduate Student- Forest Engineering

Cement-bonded Particleboards (CBPB) were produced with wood particles of Eucalyptus urophylla, Portland cement as binder and CaCl2 as additive, in a nominal density of 1.4 g/cm3. After the normal curing time of 28 days, the CBPB were overlaid in only one face with 6.0 mm-thick lumber of tauari (Couratari stellata), assembled with four types of glues: two polyvinyl acetate (PVA), one resorcinol and one PVAc cross linking, for use on dry flooring systems. The flooring panels presented good mechanical resistance, with modulus of rupture (MOR) ranging from 15.2 to 19.6 MPa, and dimensional stability, with maximum thickness swelling of 4.5 % after 24 hours. The Janka hardness (face and base) varied from 8,100 to 11,222 N. The application of the flooring assembled with the four tested adhesives can be accomplished, however, if the place to be serviced presents high relative humidity the flooring must be used only when coated with two of the tested glues (resorcinol and one cross-linking)