Comparative life cycle assessment of medium density fiberboard and particleboard: A case study in China

Abstract

Owing to the similarities in raw materials, technology, and application fields between fiberboard and particleboard, it is crucial to perform a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) on these two types of panels. This comparison can greatly contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impact of these panels. However, there is a limited number of studies available regarding the comparative LCA study of these panels. Therefore, in this study, the environmental effects of manufacturing process of dry-process fiberboard (medium-density fiberboard, MDF) and particleboard (PB) were compared. A cradle-to-gate LCA model was developed using eFootprint software. The results showed that PB exhibited better environmental performance than MDF because of the lower power consumption and the amount of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin required in the manufacturing process. The total environmental impact of PB from cradle to gate was 27.5% lower than that of MDF, and the eco-efficiency of PB was 18.8% higher than that of MDF. Regardless of the panel type, the greatest environmental effect occurred in the raw and auxiliary materials production phase, followed by the board production phase. The environmental effect of the transportation phase was minimal. The production of UF resin and the consumption of electricity were identified as the main environmental hotspots. Finally, two approaches to enhance environmental performance were proposed and applied: first, replacing UF resin with a soy-based adhesive, and second, switching from thermal power to hydropower. In addition, the environmental impacts before and after implementing these approaches were compared.