Evaluation of the Different Uses of Washingtonia robusta Pruning Waste

This research work was conducted to investigate the possibility of using Washingtonia robusta H. Wendl. pruning waste as growing media and raw material for particleboard production. In the growing media experiment, variable factors were the particle size (0.25-4, 2-4, 1-2, and 0.25-1 mm), and in the particleboard experiment, the variables wereg the particle size (2-4, 1-2, and 0.25-1 mm), press temperature (120 and 140 C-o), and press pressure (15.7 and 21.0 kg cm(-2)). The main physical and chemical properties of the growing media were determined and the experimental panels were tested for their mechanical and physical properties according to the procedures defined by European Union (EN) standards. With respect to agricultural value, the W. robusta pruning waste had low macro- and microelement contents [except in the case of potassium (K)] and high carbon (C)/nitrogen (N) ratio values (C/N ratio >130), and the majority of the studied physical properties were not inside the interval of values for an ideal substrate. On the other hand, in general, the physical and mechanical properties of the particleboards from the W. robusta pruning waste were appropriate according to the EN standards for particleboards. These properties were more significantly affected by the particle size than by the board manufacturing conditions.