Medium density fiberboard made from Eucalyptus saligna

Abstract

The production of industrial wood from natural forests is predicted to decline in the future. Factors that will contribute to this decline include changes in land use patterns, depletion of resources in some parts of the world, and the withdrawal of forest areas from industrial production in order to provide for environmental, recreational, and other social needs. There is a shortage of information on the suitability of fiber from many plantation-grown species for alternative composite products. This research was conducted to determine the suitability of plantation-grown Eucalyptus saligna from Brazil as a raw material for medium density fiberboard (MDF). Test panels of varying thickness (6,13, and 19 mm) were made with 10 percent urea resin and 1.5 percent wax. Mechanical, water resistance, and dimensional stability properties were tested according to American Society for Testing and Materials standards (ASTM). The results showed that nearly all mechanical properties of the panels at all thickness levels were above minimum requirements for MDF as specified in the ANSI-AHA and Euro MDF standards. These results indicate that MDF-type panels can be made from wood fiber derived from Eucalyptus saligna. Additional work is needed to ascertain the performance of MDF panels from this species through pilot- and production-scale trials.

Citation

Krzysik, Andrzej M.; Muehl, James H.; Youngquist, John A.; Franca, Fabio Spina. 2001. Medium density fiberboard made from Eucalyptus saligna. Forest products journal. Vol. 51, no. 10 (Oct. 2001).:p. 47-50.