*2.4. Test Methods*

The panels were cured and tested to determine their mechanical performance after 3, 7, and 28 days of curing following the ASTM D 1037-12 standard [14]. The bending modulus of rupture (MOR) and the modulus of elasticity (MOE) were determined at the same ages by MTS QTest-5 Universal Test Frames (MTS systems corporation, Eden Prairie, MN, USA) featuring The Elite Modular Control System. Screw-withdrawal resistance, water absorption, and thickness swelling were also tested following the ASTM D 1037-12 standard [14]. The thermal properties of the wood-cement particleboards were measured by FOX 314 Heat Flow Meter (TA instruments-LaserComp Inc, Wakefield, MA, USA) following the ASTM C518 [15] standard. The board was placed between two plates at a regulated temperature and a flux meter was glued on each side of it so that temperature and heat flux could be measured at the board surface, which can be submitted to temperature variations. Heat capacity and thermal conductivity can be calculated from these four parameters (two temperatures and two heat fluxes). The solubility of the WA was evaluated by the mass loss measured on 15 g of WA placed in 100 mL of distilled water and stirred for one hour at 23 ◦C. The residue is then filtered under vacuum and rinsed with distilled water. The residue of WA is placed in an oven overnight then the loss of mass is measured. The soluble proportion corresponds to the average mass loss of tree samples. Finally, solid samples were observed under a JEOL JSM-840A Scanning Electron Microscope (JEOL USA Inc, Peabody, MA, USA) (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDS). For SEM observations, the specimens were mounted intact on double-sided adhesive tape and coated with a thin alloy of Au-Pd. Operating conditions were set at 15 kV.
