Medium Density Fiber Board (MDF) and particle board are engineered wood products made by breaking down wood fibers or particles, mixing them with adhesives like resin and wax, and forming panels under high temperature and pressure. MDF uses wood fibers while particle board uses wood chips or flakes. Both are cheaper alternatives to plywood and solid wood but are more prone to expansion from moisture. They are commonly used for furniture and interior construction applications.

1. Presented by – Azleen Kazi
Fiber Board & Particle
Board

3. Medium Density Fiber Board
1. Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) is a reconstituted wood
panel product. It is a dry-processed fibreboard manufactured
from wood fibres, as opposed to veneers or particles, and is
denser than plywood and particleboard. MDF has an even
density throughout and is smooth on both sides.
2. MDF is reconstituted into wood sheets in a variety of widths
and lengths. Bonding is achieved by the addition of synthetic
resin adhesives, which are cured under heat and pressure.
3. Paraffin wax is added to assist with water repellency, while
other chemicals can be added during manufacturing for more
specific protection.
4. MDF is primarily used for internal use applications, in part due
to its poor moisture resistance. It is available in raw form with
a fine sanded surface or with decorative overlay such as wood
veneer, melamine paper or vinyl.

4. Medium Density Fiber Board (MDF)
 Medium Density Fiber Board (MDF) is an engineered wood
product made by breaking down hard wood or softwood
residuals into wood fibers combining it with wax and resin binder
and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure.
 Urea Formaldehyde resins are dominantly used in the mdf
industry because of their low cost and fast curing characteristics.
 The name derives from the distinction in densities of fiber
board.
 It is stronger and much denser than particle board.
 The term MDF has become a generic name for any dry process
fiber board
 It is made up of separated fibres, but can be used as a building
material similar in application to plywood.

6. Physical Properties of MDF
 . The density of the board, when evaluated in relation to the
density of the fibre that goes into making the panel, is
important.
 . A thick MDF panel at a density of 700–720 kg/m3 may be
considered as high density in the case of softwood fibre panels,
whereas a panel of the same density made of hard wood fibres
is not regarded as so.
 The evolution of the various
types of MDF has been driven
by differing need for specific
applications

7. Physical Properties of MDF
 MDF is typically made up of 82% wood fiber, 9% urea-
formaldehyde resin glue, 8% water and 1% paraffin wax.
 Its density is typically between 500 kg/m3 and 1,000 kg/m3.
The range of density and classification as light, standard, or high
density board is a misnomer and confusing.
The density of the board when
evaluated in relation to the density
of the fibre that goes into making
the panel is important.

8. TYPES OF MDF
 There are different kinds of MDF (sometimes labeled by colour):
 Moisture resistant is typically green
 Fire retardant MDF is typically red or blue
Although similar manufacturing processes are used in making all
types of fibreboard, MDF has a typical density of 600–800 kg/m³
or 0.022–0.029 lb/in3, in contrast to particle board (160–
450 kg/m³) and to high-density
fibreboard (600–1,450 kg/m³).

9. Comparison with natural woods
 MDF does not contain knots or rings, making it more uniform
than natural woods during cutting and in service.
 However, MDF is not entirely isotropic, since the fibres are
pressed tightly together through the sheet.
 Typical MDF has a hard, flat, smooth surface that makes it
ideal for veneering, as there is no underlying grain to telegraph
through the thin veneer as with plywood.
 A so-called "Premium" MDF
is available that features more
uniform density throughout
the thickness of the panel.

10. Comparison with natural woods
 MDF may be glued, doweled or laminated.
 Typical fasteners are T-nuts and pan-head machine screws.
 Smooth-shank nails do not hold well, and neither do fine-
pitch screws, especially in the edge.
 Special screws are available with a coarse thread pitch, but
sheet-metal screws also work well.
 Like natural wood, MDF may split when woodscrews are
installed without pilot holes.

11. Pros of MDF
1. Is an excellent substrate for veneers.
2. Some varieties are less expensive than many natural woods
3. Isotropic (its properties are the same in all directions as a result
of no grain), so no tendency to split
4. Consistent in strength and size
5. Shapes well.
6. Stable dimensions (won't expand or contract like wood)
7. Easy to finish (i.e., paint)

12. Cons of MDF
1. Denser than plywood or chipboard (the resins are heavy)
2. Low grade MDF may swell and break when saturated with
water.
3. May warp or expand if not sealed.
4. May release formaldehyde, which is a known
human carcinogen and may cause allergy, eye and lung
irritation when cutting and sanding associated with nasal sinus
cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer, and possibly with
leukaemia.

13. Cons of MDF
1. Dulls blades more quickly than many woods
2. Though it does not have a grain in the plane of the board, it
does have one into the board.
3. Screwing into the edge of a board will generally cause it to
split in a fashion similar to delaminating.
4. Subject to significant shrinkage in low humidity environments.
5. Trim (e.g. baseboards) comes pre-primed, but this is
insufficient for fine finish painting.
6. Painting with latex paints is difficult due to rapid water
absorption.
7. Most finishes appear uneven and nail holes tend to pucker.

14. Fibre Cement Cladding

15. Applications of MDF
1. MDF is often used in school projects because of its flexibility.
2. Slatwall Panels made from MDF are used in the shop
fitting industry.
3. MDF is primarily used for internal use applications due to its
poor moisture resistance.
4. It is available in raw form with fine sanded surface or with
decorative overlay.
5. MDF is also usable for furniture such as cabinets, because of
its strong surface.

16. Veneered MDF
1. Veneered MDF provides many of the advantages of MDF
with a decorative wood veneer surface layer.
2. In modern construction, spurred by the high costs of
hardwoods, manufacturers have been adapting this
approach to achieve a high quality finishing wrap
covering over a standard MDF board.
3. One common type uses oak veneer.
4. Making veneered MDF is a complex procedure, which
involves taking an extremely thin slice of hardwood
(approx 1-2mm thick) and then through high pressure
and stretching methods wrapping them around the
profiled MDF boards. This is only possible with very
simple profiles because otherwise when the thin wood
layer has dried out, it will break at the point of bends
and angles.

17. Veneered MDF

18. Manufacturing of MDF

20. PARTICLE BOARD

21. Particle Board
 Particle board, also known as particleboard and chipboard, is
also an engineered wood product manufactured from wood
chips, sawmill shavings, or even sawdust, and a synthetic resinor
other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded.
Oriented strand board, also known
as flakeboard, waferboard, or
chipboard, is similar but uses
machined wood flakes offering
more strength.
All of these are composite materials
that belong to the spectrum of
fiberboard products.

22. Characteristics of Particle Board
• Particle board is 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 fiberboard, except for insulation board.
•Medium-density fibreboard and hardboard, also called high-
density fiberboard, 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

23. Characteristics of Particle Board
•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
to buy, and somewhat more convenient to use.

24. Particle Board Furniture

25. Manufacturing of Particle Board
1. Particleboard or chipboard is manufactured by mixing wood
particles or flakes together with a resin and forming the
mixture into a sheet.
2. The raw material to be used for the particles is fed into a disc
chipper with between four and sixteen radially arranged
blades.
3. The particles are then dried, after which any oversized or
undersized particles are screened out.
4. Resin is then mist-sprayed through fine nozzles onto the
particles.
5. Amino-formaldehyde based resins are the best performing
when considering cost and ease of use.
6. Urea Melamine resins are used to offer water resistance with
increased melamine offering enhanced resistance

26. Manufacturing of Particle Board
1. Panel production involves various other chemicals—including
wax, dyes, wetting agents, release agents—to make the final
product water resistant, fireproof, insect proof, or to give it
some other quality.
2. The particles then pass through a mist of resin sufficient to
coat all surfaces and are then layered, first into a continuous
carpet.
3. This 'carpet' is then separated into discrete, rectangular
'blankets' which will then be compacted in a cold press. A
weighing device notes the weight of flakes, and they are
distributed into position by rotating rakes. In graded-density
particleboard, the flakes are spread by an air jet that throws
finer particles further than coarse ones.

27. Manufacturing of Particle Board
1. Two such jets, reversed, allow the particles to build up from
fine to coarse and back to fine.
2. The sheets formed are then cold-compressed to reduce
their thickness and make them easier to transport.
3. Later, they are compressed again, under pressures between
2 and 3 megapascals (290 and 440 psi) and temperatures
between 140 and 220 °C (284 and 428 °F). This process sets
and hardens the glue.
4. All aspects of this entire process must be carefully controlled
to ensure the correct size, density and consistency of the
board.
5. The boards are then cooled, trimmed and sanded. They can
then be sold as raw board or surface improved through the
addition of a wood veneer or laminate surface.

28. Manufacture of Particle Board

29. Pros of particle board
1. LOW COST - The main pro of particle board over plywood is
that its cost is very low.
2. Readymade furniture – particle board are machine
manufactured to desired dimensions and thus standard
peices of furniture can be mass produced using these
boards.
3. Pre-laminated boards – A thin layer of lamination is usually
glued over the surface of the particle boards at the time they
are manufactured.
4. Light Weight – Particle boards are very light in weight and
hence furniture made from these boards is relatively easy to
transport and move around.

30. Cons of Particle Board
1. Low on strength – particle board furniture is quite weak
compared to other kinds of engineered woods such as
plywood.
2. Low life, low durability – Apart from being low on strength,
particle boards are also prone to getting damaged because of
moisture and humidity.
3. Cannot support Heavy loads
4. Not as ecofriendly as solid wood furniture – Particle boards
are made from small particles of wood such as saw dust and
small chips which are glued and pressed together to form a
sheet. This is not as ecofriendly as using good quality solid
wood furniture that is 100% natural.