2016 03 23 CHEM-E2105 Manufacture of Wood-Based Panels
2016 03 23 CHEM-E2105 Manufacture of Wood-Based Panels
2016 03 23 CHEM-E2105 Manufacture of Wood-Based Panels
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CHEM-E2105
Mark Hughes
23rd March 2016
Today
• To provide an overview of the manufacture of dry-formed
wood-based panels (particleboard, MDF, OSB), using
particleboard as an example
• To introduce how the parts of the process affect the panel
board properties
• To explain the hot-pressing process, particularly with regard
to how the process affects the development of the structure
and the properties of the panel
– Although the focus is on particleboard, similar reasoning applies to
other panel products and engineered wood products
Structure of PB
• Particles of mm dimensions
• Typically 3 layers – surface or
face material of fine particles
• Core material of coarser
material (larger chips)
• Density profile developed
during manufacture
– Improved properties in bending
– Harder surface
Some factors that affect the properties of
a panel board….
The development
of the final
properties are
dependent upon
either the raw
material or the
manufacturing
process!
Product
Wood-raw material
• By-products
• Spruce - 80 %
• Birch - 15 %
• Pine - 5 %
• Saw dust
• Mini chips
• Cutter chips
• Chips/board
• 4,5 m3 / m3
(Courtesy: Koskisen Oy)
Adhesives
• Primarily thermosetting resins
– Main type (90%) is Urea formaldehyde (UF)
• Low cost
• Rapid cure
• Adequate properties for many applications (brittle and susceptible to hydrolysis)
• “Low” formaldehyde emissions “E0”, E1 (E1 Classification <8m g HCHO/100g oven-dried
board)
– “Fortified” UF (melamine urea formaldehyde)
– Phenol formaldehyde (PF)
– MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) and pMDI. Zero formaldehyde release, but
careful handling needed
• Other adhesives
– Inorganic (cement bonded)
– Thermoplastics
• Renewable resource-based adhesives
– Tannin-based adhesives
– Lignin-based adhesives
– Glues based on vegetable oils
– Soy flour-based adhesives
– Furan polymer-based adhesives
• Binder-less boards using “activated” chips/particles (enzymatic or chemical)
Additives
• Aim to manufacture a
homogeneous product
• Need therefore to
produce chips of a
suitable size & shape to
form the furnish for the
board
Chipping
• Knife systems
– Use knives cut or slice chips form the raw material
– Disc/drum chippers
• Hammer mill systems
– Use hammers to grind, break, tear shred raw materials
into smaller particles
• Attrition systems
– Grind the wood raw material into fibre – similar to TMP
(thermomechanical pulp)
Particle engineering
Core
Surface Surface
Forming
Process steps
1. Raw material preparation
2. Conversion into particles
3. Particle drying
4. Particle classification
5. Blending with a resin and additives
6. Particle/resin/blend (“furnish”) is formed into a
mattress
7. Pre-pressing & hot pressed to compact the
particles together and cure the resin
8. Cooled and finished
Pre-pressing & hot pressing
• Opening presses:
– Single-
– Multi- daylight presses
• Continuous presses
• Mat thickness
• Counter pressure
• Surface temperature
• Core temperature
• Core vapour pressure
Mat
thickness Core temperature
Pressure
• Conduction
• Convection
– Change of phase: liquid-vapour-liquid
• Radiation
– Negligible
Development of adhesive strength
• Thick panels
• Low density panels
• Manufacturers:
– Egger (www.egger.com)
– Kronospan (http://www.kronospan.co.uk/)
– Norboard (http://www.norbord.com/)