The aim of this study was to determine the effect of corn flour content of urea formaldehyde (UF) resin on the panel properties of particleboard. Corn flour was added to UF resin to decrease the free formaldehyde content of particleboard panels. Some physical (thickness swelling and rheological characterization), mechanical (modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, internal bond strength and withdrawal of screws) properties and formaldehyde emission of particleboards were evaluated. The results showed that the introduction of small proportions of corn flour (7%, by weight) in UF resins contributes to the improvement of mechanical and physical properties of the boards and reduced their formaldehyde emissions. Hazardous petrochemical UF could be partially substituted in industrial applications by addition of corn flour. To our knowledge, this is the first study on this kind of wood adhesives. © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.