Effects of temperature on the bending performance of wood-based panels

Abstract

The effect of temperature in the range from 25 ºC to 175 ºC on the bending performance of plywood and medium density fiberboard (MDF) has been studied with the ultimate purpose of optimizing the post-processing using radio frequency heating and improving the quality of the final products. Static 3-point bending tests were conducted on a universal testing machine inside a computer-controlled chamber. Results show that the bending strength (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of plywood and MDF decrease with the increase of the temperature from 25 ºC to 175 ºC. The bending strength of plywood and MDF decreases with the increase of the exposure time. However, the effects of exposure time on MOE of plywood and MDF are not obvious. Plywood and 2.6 mm thick MDF show a typical elasto-plastic behavior, while 12 mm thick MDF does not exhibit any plastic behavior. It is recommended that the post-processing procedure should be completed within 15 minutes for both MDF and plywood.