Laboratory trials were undertaken to determine the suitability of sunflower stalks from Sudan as a basic raw material for particle board using phenol-formaldehyde resin as a binder The experimental parameters varied were raw material density and type (whole and depithed stalks, wood shavings), resin content, board density and layers. The trials confirmed the need for depithing the stalks and use of cheap adhesives and second-rate wood particles to make the production of boards economically attractive. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.