Properties of particleboard produced with liquefaction-modified phenol-formaldehyde adhesive

Pinus densiflora wood flour was liquefied in the presence of phenol, using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. Liquefaction-modified phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resins were synthesized as particleboard binder. The physical characteristics of the laboratory-synthesized control PF resin and the LPF resins are described. Laboratory particleboard (PB) was made using Korean hybrid poplar (Populus alba × glandulosa) particles with the control PF resin and LPF resins. The physical strength and dimensional stability of the PBs were tested according to ASTM D 1037-99 and KS F 3104 standard procedures. PB test results show that the physical and mechanical strength properties differed significantly according to resin type; however, all PBs made in this study exceeded the minimum strength requirement of the Korean Standard KS F 3104 for PB type 8.0.