Physico-Mechanical Properties of Cement-Bonded Boards Produced from Mixture of Corn Cob Particles and Gmelina arborea Sawdust

Cement bonded boards of 10 mm in thickness were produced from the mixture of Gmelina arborea sawdust and corn cob particles. The strength and dimensional stability of cement bonded composites produced from these two mixtures were examined. A total of thirty experimental boards were produced at density level of 1,000 kg/m3 with cement to fibre ratio of 2.5:1 and 3:1 and five (5) blending proportions of G. arborea sawdust to corn cob particles of 100:0; 75:25; 50:50; 25:75 and 100:0. The effect of the cement to fibre ratio and blending proportion on the Water Absorption (WA), Thickness Swelling (TS), Modulus of Rupture (MOR), and Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) were determined. The result indicates that as the mixing ratio of cement to fibre and blending proportion of maize cob (75%) to G. arborea (25%) increased, the thickness swelling, water absorption decreased, whereas the MOR and MOE increased. It also shows that most dimensionally stable and flexural strength boards were produced at the highest level of mixing ratios (3:1) and blending proportion of G. arborea to corn cob 25:75. However, the analysis of variance shows that TS and WA were significantly different, whereas, MOE and MOR were not significantly affected by mixing ratios and blending proportions. Finding of this study has shown that maize cob particles are suitable for cement bonded board production.