Some Observations on the Development of a Laboratory Flake Board Process

Changes in laboratory procedures and materials resulted in pronounced improvement in flakeboard quality. This study was conducted to determine the relative importance of these various changes. Two types of flakes (modified planer flakes and veneer flakes), two blender designs (55 gallon oil drum and 6 foot diameter octagonal), two spray systems (airless and air), two resin temperatures at time of spraying (75?F. and 130?F.), and two concentrations of resin solids in the mix (45 percent and 55 percent) were investigated. The factors which proved to be of major importance in this study were the type of flake, the blender design, and the resin concentration. The octagonal blender with its internally mounted spray gun was far superior in every respect to the oil drum blender. The veneer flake, with its inherently greater strength and lower flexibility, proved far superior to the modified planer flake in modulus of rupture. In both internal bond and dimensional stability, however, the comparison depended upon the resin concentration employed. With the 55 percent solids resin the veneer flake proved much superior in internal bond but somewhat inferior in dimensional stability. With the 45 percent solids resin the performance of both flakes was essentially the same in both internal bond and dimensional stability. It seems probable that these interactions result primarily from the relative amounts of moisture introduced by the resins, with higher moisture inhibiting bond strength but favoring dimensional stability. It is further indicated that the low inherent strength of the modified planer flake apparently becomes the limiting factor when high strength glue bonds are obtained. Thus, in attempting to improve the quality of any particular particleboard process, the importance of identifying the limiting factor or factors is apparent.

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