Homogeneity Analysis of MDF in Parallel and Perpendicular Directions Related to Panel Production

Abstract

MDF in Brazil is an almost recent product, available in the market from the late '80s. The resin content appears as one of the factors that most influence the final properties of MDF panels. Identification of how these factors interact is very useful for improving performance and energy inputs, determining ideal resin content based on the desirable properties. This paper analyzes the most important properties of a MDF panel in the industry, in directions: perpendicular and parallel to the direction of production, thus verifying the homogeneity throughout the panel, according to EN 622-5, by determining the MOE and MOR in bending, draw perpendicular, swelling and water absorption. In the same way, it was analyzed if there is a direct relationship between the bending and tensile perpendicular to face properties. Results showed that the panels studied cannot be considered within the normative standards, despite having attended many of these requirements, for example, in presenting an MOE greater than the relevant standard. Through the analysis of variance, we observed the uniformity of properties in both directions studied. As a result of feedback from the wheel perpendicular and thickness swelling, can admit a bad distribution of the patch panel and a larger amount of paraffin, which was observed by the inconsistency between these properties. Through the low value in the analysis of R², we can say that there isn’t a correlation between the MOR in bending and tensile strength perpendicular.