The objective of this work was to investigate the selected properties of particleboard (PB) containing waste rubber – a mixture of carpets and isolators (GWR) and tires (GWT) from discarded automobiles. Mechanical (tensile strength (IB), bending strength (BS), physical (water absorption (WA), thickness swelling (TS) after 2 and 24 h of immersion), chemical (volatile compounds - VOC using GC-MS method), thermo-physical (thermal conductivity and diffusivity, specific heat capacity) and sound absorption coefficient were analyzed. In addition, a density profile and microscopic analysis of the particleboards were performed. The addition of 10% rubber to the PB either maintains the IB or improves the BS of the composite. The best results for WA after 24 h (97.94%) and TS after 24 h (30.74%) were achieved for composites containing tire granulates. For this reason, these PBs are the most suitable for utilization in areas with higher humidity. Adding 20% of GWR to PB decreased the total content of VOC emissions by 85% so it can be stated that the rubber probably acts as a VOC sorbent. Control PBs had significantly lower thermal conductivity and diffusivity, and comparable specific heat capacity values than PBs containing GWR and GWT. The best sound insulation properties were obtained for PBs containing 20% of GWR. Microscopic analysis pointed to greater GWT and GWR contents resulting in higher C content in the PB. All PBs containing GWR have a higher mean density compared to that of control, ranging from 597 kg·m⁻³ to 615 kg·m⁻³. On the other hand, PB containing GWT had comparable or lower density values.

The growing volume of plastic waste from end-of-life vehicles presents environmental concerns, driving efforts to integrate recycled plastics. This study investigates the possibility of using recycled plastic from automotive parts (painted and unpainted bumpers, fuel tanks) as a 10% filler in the core layer of three-layer particleboards (P) and evaluates its impact on physical properties (water absorption—WA and thickness swelling—TS), mechanical properties (internal bonding strength—IB, modulus of rupture—MOR, modulus of elasticity—MOE and screw driving torque—SDT) and volatile organic compounds—VOC emissions. The boards were produced using conventional hot-pressing technology and analyzed according to applicable standards. Based on the results, the density of the reference (P) was 0.72 g·cm⁻³, while wood–plastic composites ranged from 0.70 g·cm⁻³ to 0.72 g·cm⁻³. After 24 h, WA reached 40% for reference (P) and from 36.9% (for (P) containing unpainted bumpers) to 41.9% (for (P) containing fuel tanks). TS reached 18% for (P) and from 16.8% (for (P) containing unpainted bumpers and fuel tanks) to 18.1% (for (P) containing painted bumpers). Plastic is a hydrophobic material and it is assumed that by increasing the proportion of plastic filler in the particleboards, the WA and TS of prepared boards will decrease. From the point of view of mechanical properties, values for (P) containing plastic filler were slightly lower compared to reference (P). The lowest value of IB (0.39 MPa) were reached for (P) containing painted bumpers. Plastic surface treatment could interfere with adhesion between the plastic and adhesive, weakening the bond in the core layer. For this reason, is preferable to use unpainted fillers, which provide better adhesive properties and higher structural integrity. VOC emissions from wood components consisted primarily of monoterpenes such as α-pinene, 3-carene and limonene. Adding 10% plastic to the particleboard did not increase overall VOC emissions. On the other hand, combining wood and plastic particles resulted in a reduction in overall VOC emissions. The findings confirm that recycled automotive plastics can be effectively incorporated into particleboards, maintaining standard performance while reducing reliance on virgin wood materials, making them a viable and sustainable alternative for furniture and interior applications.

The growing volume of end-of-life rubber and polymer waste from the automotive sector, combined with increasing demand for acoustic comfort in buildings, motivates the development of sustainable composite materials that integrate waste valorization with improved functional performance. The...

Thermal modification is widely applied to improve the durability and dimensional stability of wood; however, it alters the emission profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may affect indoor air quality. This study evaluated the effect of accelerated aging on VOC emissions from thermally modified Norway spruce (Picea abies) wood. Untreated and thermally treated samples (160, 180, and 210 °C) were subjected to accelerated aging in a xenon test chamber for 600 h. VOC emissions were analyzed using headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS), and total VOC emissions (TVOC) were calculated from peak areas. Thermal modification significantly reduced TVOC compared to untreated wood, with samples treated at 210 °C showing up to a 376-fold decrease. Increasing modification temperature reduced the amount and variability of emitted VOCs and altered their chemical composition. Terpenes dominated in untreated wood, particularly α-pinene (51%), whereas thermally treated samples showed lower terpene content and higher proportions of carbonyl compounds such as furfural. Accelerated aging further affected VOC emissions, including a 42% decrease in TVOC for the 160 °C sample and compositional shifts characterized by the disappearance or formation of specific compounds. Thermal modification and subsequent aging substantially modify VOC emission profiles and improve emission stability of thermally treated spruce wood.

Recycled polymer-rich residues can alter several functions of wood-based panels, but claims of multifunctionality require property-specific evidence and transparent treatment of replication. Three-layer spruce particleboards were therefore prepared with 10 wt.% painted or unpainted polypropylene bumper granules, high-density polyethylene fuel-tank granules, tire rubber, seal-and-carpet residues, or electrical-cable fractions in the core layer. Two hybrid formulations contained 10 wt.% recycled rubber-rich filler plus 10 wt.% expandable graphite. Transient plane source measurements were evaluated at the specimen-pair level (two pairs per formulation); normal-incidence sound absorption and radiant-heat mass loss were complementary descriptive screens because the archived datasets contained one spectrum or one exposed specimen per formulation. Mean thermal conductivity varied only from 0.1908 to 0.2075 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ (−5.3% to +3.0% relative to the reference). The graphite hybrids showed the clearest change in transient response: thermal diffusivity increased by 19.6–20.1%, whereas volumetric heat capacity decreased by 14.5–16.7% and thermal effusivity by 6.5–8.7%. SC10G10 had the highest mean absorption coefficient over 126–6400 Hz (0.210; +46.2%) and the lowest mass loss after 600 s at 30 kW m⁻² (37.48%; −17.72%). Macroscopic and polarizing optical images showed formulation-dependent filler distribution and visible interfacial spaces, but they did not establish bonding mechanisms or quantify porosity. The results identify promising formulation-dependent responses while also defining the replication and structural measurements needed before application-level claims can be made.