👏 Congratulations to Tiam Mahmoudian, Rosilei Garcia, Aziz Laghdir, and Alain Cloutier for the publication of their article « Dimensional stability and mechanical performance of exterior-grade particleboard and MDF after accelerated aging » in the journal Forests.
🏗️ This study examines the impact of accelerated aging on the dimensional stability and mechanical performance of wood-based panels designed for exterior applications. Three types of panels are investigated: two particleboards (PB1 and PB2) bonded with phenol-formaldehyde adhesive, and a medium-density fibreboard (MDF) bonded with polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. The objective is to assess their resistance to severe environmental conditions simulated in the laboratory, including repeated wetting and drying cycles.
The results show that PB2 offers the best stability and retains its mechanical properties the most effectively, while PB1 shows intermediate performance and MDF is the most sensitive (high swelling, low strength). In conclusion, PB2 is suitable for demanding exterior applications, whereas PB1 and MDF are better suited to semi-protected environments.
🙏 💰 This study was conducted within the Corepan-Bois consortium at Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique – Université Laval. The authors thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts, the Quebec Forest Industry Council (CIFQ), as well as consortium partners (SEREX, FPInnovations, Tafisa Canada, Uniboard Canada, Sacopan, and Arbec Forest Products) for their financial support.
👉Read the full article : https://doi.org/10.3390/f17050614