Variation in selected properties of industrial grade particleboard

Information about the variability of physical and mechanical properties of industrial grade particle-board is seldom made available. In this study, 3/8-inch particleboard was obtained for evaluation from seven different sources that commonly supply the same kitchen cabinet manufacturer. The following properties were investigated for each of these sources: Young’s modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), internal bond strength (IB), surface bond strength, screw withdrawal from both the face and the edge, density, linear expansion, and moisture content (MC). For each property, the mean and associated coefficient of variation (COV) was determined for each source. Additionally, a multiple-range test at a = 0.05 was applied to compare results among suppliers. All suppliers met minimum requirements of MOR, MOE, and IB for American National Standards Institute grade 1-M-1 particleboard, but only five suppliers met those values specified for the 1-M-2 grade. Considering IB, all suppliers exceeded the 60 psi requirement by more than two times and no significant difference was found among their means. For all other properties, however, significantly different groupings of suppliers were observed to exist and values varied substantially. When comparing lowest- to-highest means of properties among suppliers (with the exception of IB, density, and MC), the differences ranged from 37 percent for MOE to over 150 percent for linear expansion. Considering properly data for all suppliers collectively (excluding density and MC), overall COV ranged from a low of 14 percent for IB to a high of 35 percent for linear expansion.

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