INTRODUCTION OF PARTICLE BOARD

What is Particleboard? Particle board or the other name is chipboard or fibreboard is

one of the engineered wood products manufactured like Medium Density Board and Wood
Cement Board. Usually, particleboard is made from a wood waste product like wood particle,
chips or sawdust that combines with resin and after that was press with hot press. To make
the particleboard water resistant, fireproof, and resistant to insects and fungi, certain type of
chemicals will be used like wax, dyes, wetting agents, and release agents. In a flat-pressed
particle board, the chips are usually parallel to the surface where chips at the surface layer
will be thinner compare to at the middle layer. This will make particle board surface become
denser and more compact than the middle. The size of particle generally will give an effect to
mechanical properties like increase the size of particle; increase the mechanical properties of
particle board. For adhesive, we are using urea formaldehyde one of the type of thermosetting
resin. It usually use for adhesives, finishes, particle board, MDF and moulded objects. There
is no additives are added for the making of particle board.

Particle board also was cheaper, denser and more uniform than conventional wood
and plywood and is substituted for them when cost is more important than strength and
appearance. However, particleboard can be made more attractive by painting or the use of
wood veneers onto surfaces that will be visible. Though it is denser than conventional wood,
it is the lightest and weakest type of fibreboard, except for insulation board. Medium-density
fibreboard and hardboard, also called high-density fibreboard, are stronger and denser than
particleboard. Different grades of particleboard have different densities, with higher density
connoting greater strength and greater resistance to failure of screw fasteners.

A major disadvantage of particleboard is that it is very prone to expansion and

discoloration due to moisture, particularly when it is not covered with paint or another sealer.
Therefore, it is rarely used outdoors or in places where there are high levels of moisture, with
the exception of some bathrooms, kitchens and laundries, where it is commonly used as an
underlayment - in its moisture resistant variant - beneath a continuous sheet of vinyl flooring.

The advantages of using particleboard over veneer core plywood is it is more stable,
unless it gets wet, much cheaper in price, denser and high strength than real wood, and
somewhat more convenient to use.
PROCEDURE OF PARTICLE BOARD

1. Screening

Using screening machine, wood flakes are screened and the finest wood particle
gained are used for particle board manufacturing.

2. Mixing

Groups are divided into three depending on the resin which are 0.08, 0.10 and 0.12.
The ingredients are mixed with a particle board rotary machine.

3. Mat Forming

After mixing, we place the mixture into mould with dimension of length 340mm X
width 340mm X thickness 12mm.

4. Pre-press

The mixture is then undergone cold press or pre-press to fix the shape and reduce the
air in between particles.

5. Hot Press

It is to cure the resin which have been mixture with wood dust about 5 minutes. The
temperature is around 25 to 28ºC.
DATA FOR BENDING STRENGTH

Sample Weight Length Width Thickness Density MOR Load at

(g) (mm) (mm) (mm) (kg/cm³) (MPa) Break(N)
1 121.04 313.09 49.41 13.51 579.148 234.363 9.011
2 115.26 313.11 48.43 13.86 548.408 118.203 4.683
3 126.52 311.96 48.86 13.69 606.322 331.300 1.700
Average 120.94 312.72 48.9 13.69 577.959 227.922 5.132
value for
Group 3
Group 1 - - - - - 98.735 -
Group 2 - - - - - 164.235 -

GRAPH

DISCUSSION

Graph above shows the average reading of bending strength between three groups
with different ratio of wood particle to resin. Group first has the lowest bending strength of
98.735 MPa whereas for group third shows the highest bending strength with 227.922 MPa.
This proves that the compactness or density of cement board defines its bending strength.
Therefore, the lower the density the lower it’s bending strength.
DATA FOR TENSILE STRENGTH

Sample Weight Length Width Thickness Density MOE Load at

(g) (mm) (mm) (mm) (kg/cm³) (MPa) Break(N)
1 19.06 48.60 49.38 13.53 613.60 0.582 0.387
2 20.91 47.97 49.41 13.68 587.00 3.080 6.719
3 16.52 47.90 49.08 14.03 644.89 2.786 4.053
4 19.58 48.84 49.67 13.73 500.86 3.812 2.400
5 16.26 48.06 49.34 14.08 487.01 0.522 1.661
6 20.56 49.05 49.43 13.82 613.60 1.104 2.096
Average 18.82 48.40 49.39 13.81 574.49 1.981 2.886
value
for
Group
3
Group - - - - - 0.932 -
1
Group - - - - - 1.803 -
2

GRAPH

D
ISCUSSION

Graph above shows the average reading of internal bonding between three groups
with different ratio of resin to wood particle. It shows that the higher the ratio of resin to
wood particle, the higher of its internal bonding. This is due to the level of compactness of
the particleboard is higher making its strength and capability to withstand extension of load is
higher too.
THICKNESS SWELLING

Sample Initial Thickness Final Thickness Thickness swelling

(mm) (mm) Final thickness-
initial thickness
Initial thickness
X 100 (%)
TS1 13.76 19.40 40.99
TS2 13.50 20.68 53.19
TS3 13.73 21.07 53.46
TS4 13.65 20.49 50.11
TS5 13.75 20.33 47.85
TS6 13.82 20.81 50.58
Average value for 13.70 20.46 49.36
Group 3
Group 1 - - 3.06
Group 2 - - 50.42

GRAPH

60
THICKNESS SWELLING

50
40
30
20 Thickness swelling
10
0
0.08 0.1 0.12
PERCENTAGE OF RESIN

DISCUSSION

Graph above shows the thickness swelling for three groups with different ratio of
resin to wood particle. If the ratio of resin to wood particle with 0.10:1 is moderate, the
higher the tendency for it to swell. This shows that the compactness of the particleboard
determines its capability of absorbing water.
APPENDIX

SCREENING A WOOD FLAKES TESTING MACHINE

RESULT AFTER BEING TESTING FOR TENSILE STRENGTH

THICKNESS SWELLING PROCESS