Maximum Strength Properties for Particleboard

Maximum strength properties of particleboard will be limited by the strength properties of the wood from which it is made–if resin distribution is 100 percent efficient. Mathematical means were developed to predict maximum board strength values in tension, compression, and flexure in terms of board density, particle orientation, thickness of compression layers, and basic properties of the wood. Calculations of particleboard strength based on the developed formulas were compared with laboratory test values experimentally determined by another worker. The theoretical maximum modulus of rupture for particleboard made from Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir with a specific gravity of 0.52 was calculated to be 3,820 psi. The average of laboratory test values on this board was about 2,300 psi. This relationship of actual MOR to the theoretical maximum was considered reasonable for medium density board where the percentage of wood failure is seldom high. The usefulness of this theoretical method of predicting maximum board strength is limited presently by the shortage of accurate ultimate strength data for wood in tension parallel to the grain and in compression perpendicular to the grain.

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