Characterization of lignocellulosic materials obtained from the olive industry

Abstract

The region of the Argentine Northwest presents a development of the olive activity with excellent productive results destined to the Oil Industry. However, this productive evolution brought with it the need to treat those solid residues produced by this food industry. That is why the National University of La Rioja is working on priority lines on Control and Protection of the Environment within a model of sustainable development with the aim of reducing this industrial waste that ends up in dumps or sanitary landfills. In this sense, the present investigation seeks to recycle them in chipboard to later determine and analyze their physical and mechanical properties. The tested specimens turned out to have a good behavior before cutting processes. The density of the agglomerate presented a high-density profile, being beneficial, since low-density materials are more likely to suffer the rigors of humidity. The moisture test showed an adequate setting index and the swelling test indicated resistance to the influence of water. Regarding the flexural strength, the results indicated that the deformation due to maximum load and the flexural deformation at breakage are greater in the case of the pomace agglomerate, being the maximum flexural load the most unfavorable factor of the test specimens, pomace base.