Oriented strand and Particle board
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Oriented strand board, or OSB, is an engineered wood product formed
by layering strands (flakes) of wood in specific orientations. In
appearance it has a rough and variegated surface with the individual
strips (around 2.5 by 15 cm each) lying unevenly across each other
in the direction of their grain.
It is manufactured in wide mats from cross-oriented layers of thin,
rectangular wooden strips compressed and bonded together with wax
and resin adhesives (95% wood, 5% wax and resin). The layers are
created by shredding the wood into the strips, these are sifted and
then oriented on a belt. The mat is made in a forming bed, the
layers are built up with the external layers aligned in the panel
direction and internal layers randomly positioned. The number of
layers placed is set by the required thickness of the finished
panel, typically around a 15 cm layer will produce a 15 mm panel
thickness. The mat is then placed in a thermal press. Individual
panels are then cut from the mats in standard sizes. |
Different qualities in terms of thickness, panel size, strength, and
rigidity, can be given to the OSB by changes in the manufacturing
process. OSB panels have no internal gaps or voids, and are
water-resistant (though they do require additional membranes to
achieve impermeability to water). The finished product has similar
properties to plywood, but is uniform and cheaper. It has begun to
replace natural plywood in many environments. The most common uses
are as sheathing in walls, floors, and roofs.
While OSB does not have grain like a natural wood, it does have a
specific axis of strength. This can be seen by looking at the
alignment of the surface wood chips. The most accurate method,
though, for determining the axis of strength is to examine the ink
stamps on the wood placed there by the manufacturer.
There is some debate over the environmental impact of OSB. On the
one hand, it allows producers to use tree species that are otherwise
unfit for standard veneer plywood or lumber -- species like aspen or
poplar. The production method uses almost all the wood of the
harvested trees and both small, young trees and lower quality fast
growing species can be used. However, the manufacturing process
requires the use of a variety of deadly volatile compounds including
formaldehyde.
Because natural plywood is made of layers with alternating grain
directions, it can be difficult to cut. OSB, while lighter and
easier to cut than the natural equivalent, leaves a gummy residue on
saw blades from the waxes and adhesives used during manufacturing.
In 2001, 19.4 million m³ of OSB panel was produced in the USA.
OSB is commonly known as Sterling board in the United Kingdom.
Particle board, also called chipboard, is an engineered wood product
manufactured from wood particles, such as wood chips, sawmill
shavings, or even saw dust, and a synthetic resin or other suitable
binder, which is pressed and extruded. Particle board is a type of
fiberboard, a composite material, but it is made up of larger pieces
of wood than medium-density fiberboard and hardboard.
Characteristics
Particle board is cheaper, denser and more uniform than conventional
wood and plywood and is substituted for them when appearance and
strength are less important than cost. However, particle board can
be made more attractive by painting or the use of wood veneers that
are glued onto surfaces that will be visible. Though it is more
dense than conventional wood, it is the lightest and weakest type of
fiberboard, except for insulation board. Medium-density fiberboard
and hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard, are stronger and
denser than particle board. A major disadvantage of particle board
is that it is very prone to expansion and discoloration due to
moisture, particularly when it is not covered with paint or another
sealer. Therefore, it is rarely used outdoors or places that have
high levels of moisture, with the exception of some bathrooms,
kitchens and laundries, where it is commonly used as an underlayment
beneath a continuous sheet of vinyl floor covering. In such an
installation the edges must be properly coved upward against the
wall and joins and non-coved edges must properly sealed against
moisture penetration. A higher quality material not subject to
expansion is underlayment-grade plywood, which is constructed
without interior voids in its layers to better resist the high local
pressure from stiletto heels. |
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