INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD MANUFACTURING OF BOARDS BASED ON WOOD
CLASSIFICATION
The World manufacturing of boards can be divided into three big groups: Particle boards, fiber boards,
and veneered boards.
Characteristics of Particle Boards
Particle boards are commonly known as agglomerated and as the name indicates are manufactured over
a basis of the union of particles always linked through sticking resin. These particles are conglomerates
of fiber that have not finished separating among themselves and which can have different size and
shapes.
Characteristics of veneered boards
Veneered boards are the ones manufactured with sheets of wood alternatively oriented, that is to say
stuck across one to another.
Characteristics of fiber boards
However, fiber boards are produced from a tidy crumbling up of the constitutive material, with the
objective that the final components are beams of separated fiber and soldered again among themselves.
What is more fiber boards’ main link (when not the only one) is the natural characteristic of the fibers to
join among themselves, in certain temperature conditions, humidity, etc.
Regarding Fiber Boards the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) proposes the
following definition: It is a sheet of material manufactured from wood fiber and other fibrous ligno celullosic
which main link derives from the ordering of the fibers and their own adhesive properties. Sticking agents
or other materials can be added during the manufacturing process.
Classification of Fiber Boards
The FAO suggests classifying fiber boards according to their density and proposes the following chart:
Non Pressed Boards
- Of low Density (0,02-0,4 gr/cm3)
Pressed Boards
- Of Medium Density (0,4-0,8 gr/cm3)
- Of High Density (Hardboard) (0,8-1,2 gr/cm3)
HARDBOARD
Definition
The FAO defines Hardboard saying that it is: "a Board of fiber with a range of density between 0,80
Kg/dm3 and 1,2 Kg/dm3".
The Department of Commerce of the USA through its National Office of Standard, has created the norms
of Voluntary Product Standard, in which PS 58-73 defines hardboard as: "A panel manufactured with
ligno-cellulosic inter-afiltradas fiber, which are consolidated under heat pressure in a hot press at a
density of 0,5 Kg/dm3 or more".
Other materials can be added to enlarge certain properties such as hardness, rigidity, properties of
termination, resistance to water and humidity absorption, as well as increasing the resistance, duration and
utility.
On its side IRAM in its norm 11532 defines hardboard as: “The element manufactured with wood fiber
or other fibrous ligno cellulosic materials pressed with their own agglutinating substances, or
others added during the elaboration process ".
Types of Hardboard according to the raw material
From the viewpoint of different hardboard available commercial quality in the world, they can be
differentiated according to the raw materials used and the type of industrial manufacturing process used.
According to the raw materials used the differentiation of qualities allows to observe that there are two big
sub-groups of hardboard in the world , the ones made of Eucalyptus and the ones made of different
material such as husks, conifers, etc.
Hardboard from Eucalyptus are the ones of best quality because of their best physic and mechanic
properties and superficial characteristics, specially that they are suitable for being painted, that makes
them adequate for covering materials, furniture, etc
Identification according to its industrial process
According to the industrial process used, it is formed of two characteristic types: Hardboard S-1-S, and
hardboard S-2-S.
Hardboard S-1-S or Smooth one Side, that is to say a side is smooth they are produced HUMID WAY or
SEMI HUMID WAY. Their characteristic is that one of its sides is smooth and the other one is rough,
therefore the name. The other rough face in this case is because of an imposition of the industrial process,
where the necessity of eliminating water appears, which in this type of process is used as a means of
transport of fiber and beams of fiber. Generally they do not have agglomeration in their mass.
Hardboard S-"-S or Smooth two Sides, both sides are smooth, are produced in a DRY WAY. They present
both sides smooth as it is not necessary to eliminate the liquid which carries the fiber.