https://journalcps.com/index.php/volumes Communication in Physical Sciences, 2020, 6(1): 760-766 Communication in Physical Sciences, 2020, 6(1): 760-766 The Recycling of Sawdust Waste into Particleboard Using Starch- Based Modified Adhesive Emmanuel Michael Umoh* and Edidiong Sunday Sam Received 02 November 2020, Accepted 17 November 2020, Published online: 19 November 2020 Abstract: The challenges associated with the management of wastes from the cassava processing and timber industries necessitated an investigation into the possibility of implementing recycling approach to produced particle board from these wastes. Particleboards were produced from wood saw dust using various compositions of modified starch adhesives. The product obtained were evaluated for density, moisture content, hardness, flexural strength, water absorption and thickness swelling. The results obtained indicated that the density ranged from 753 to 798 kg/m 3 , moisture content ranged from 14.87 to 16.67 %, hardness ranged from 9.02 to 9.31 N/nm 2 , flexural strength ranged from 1.31 to 1.45 MPa, water absorption capacity at 24 h ranged from 1.06 to 9.31 %, thickness swelling ranged from 4.55 to 4.78%. The products were in conformity with IS 3087 (2005) and ANSI A 208.1 (1993) standards and could go for medium density particleboard. Key Words: Resource recycling, particle board, cassava processing waste, wood saw dust. Emmanuel Michael Umoh Department of Science Technology Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Email: emicheals_ep@yahoo.co.uk Orcid id:0000-0002-6900-3889 Edidiong Sunday Sam Department of Chemistry, University of Calabar Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria Email: edidiongsam@825yahoo.com 1.0 Introduction Waste generation is one of the major threats to the environment. Industrial development, urbanization and agricultural practices have been highlighted as the major source of wastes in our environment (Young et al.,2010). However, little attention is directed to the wood industries, which has great potential to generate toxic waste into the land, water and air (Harshavardhan and Muruganandam (2017). Combustion of wood saw dust can generate air pollutants such as CO2, CH4, NOx, SOx and other toxic gases (Gimbutaite and Veneckus 2008; IARC, 2006). Wood rich in heavy metals can pollute the soil when they decay or be leached to surrounding water bodies (Sardar et al., 2013). Approaches to wood management vary but one of the most beneficial approach is resource recycling which defines turning wood to useful product (Harshavardhan and Muruganandam (2017). One of the most successful approaches to the management of wood saw dust is the production of particle boards from it. Particle board is a composite wood product of sawdust (and agricultural waste) blended with synthetic resins or organic adhesives and extruded into solid form (Wang and Sun, 2002). Formaldehyde resins such as amino formaldehyde, urea melamine and phenol formaldehyde resins have been used for decades in the production of particleboard but due to its effect on end users, have now been banned (IARC, 2006). However, due to the formation of formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide which are carcinogenic, recent research interest is directed to green synthetic routes that will eliminate the generation of toxic materials. The use of starch of plant origin has given hope for ecofriendly production of particle board (Kennedy, 1989; Xu et al., 2014). Modified starch adhesives are now used for adhesion of materials because they are safe, non- toxic, grossly underutilized, renewable and cheap and exhibit the required characteristics of tack, resistance to moisture, binding strength and durability. Rowel et al. (2000), reported the use of crop wastes to produced particleboard, which accounted for recycling process. Scantolino, et al. (2013) produced particleboard using maize cob and obtained commendable mechanical properties. Ndubaba, (2013) and Bamisaye, (2017), obtained their particleboard from rice husks and from