LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AS A STRATEGY FOR THE SELECTION OF RAW MATERIALS IN THE PARTICLEBOARD PRODUCTION

Abstract

In the last decades, the production of particle board has expanded due to the need to optimize the use of wood and the greater demand in the furniture industry. The main raw materials for the manufacture of particle board are pine and eucalyptus wood. As an alternative, studies use as raw materials lignocellulosic residues from agroindustry, motivated by high availability, low cost and environmental appeal. Research on particle board of sugarcane bagasse (SB) presents physical and mechanical requirements that meet Brazilian and international standards for non-structural function and internal use in dry conditions. In addition, by reducing the demand for virgin wood extraction, the use of SB can lead to variations in the environmental impacts of the product life cycle when compared to wood. Thus, this study presents a current panorama of the studies carried out on the production of particle panels with three raw materials: eucalyptus, pinus and SB and their environmental impact potentials. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is presented as an environmental strategy for raw material choices in line with circular economy in systems and processes. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on the Web of Science and Scopus databases and results indicate that SB panels have lower environmental impacts when compared to eucalyptus and pinus.