Forest Products Journal

An experimental study of microwave pre-heating of an MDF fiber mat: Moisture and temperature distribution and the impact on hot-pressing

Publish Year: 2006 Reference ID: 56(6):76-81 Authors:
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This article describes the experimental study of preheating a medium density fiberboard fiber mat using microwave energy before hot-pressing. The experimental results showed that microwave preheating not only increases the overall mat temperature with high energy efficiency within a very short period of time, but also redistributes the moisture within the mat, creating a potentially favorable moisture gradient. As a result, the surface layers and edges of the fiber mat have higher moisture contents while the central core region has a lower moisture content. This moisture gradient improves the mass and heat transfer during hot-pressing. Due to increased temperature within the mat, microwave preheating can significantly reduce hot-pressing time and increase production efficiency.

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