Abstract

This study examined the combined using effects of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin and emulsifiable methylene diphyenyl diisocyanate (EMDI) resin to overcome performance limit of three-layer particleboards commonly made by UF resin. Two adhesive adding methods were applied with three types of resin combination system to each layer of particleboards. The one was simultaneously spreading method with emulsified compound resin (UF and EMDI) while the other was separately spreading method with unemulsified EMDI resin after UF resin spreading. The performance of particleboards bonded with 2% EMDI resin to the inner layers(IL) were similar to that of controls bonded with 8% UF resin. In the case of the emulsified compound resin application to the all layers of particleboards, there were marked reinforcing effects of EMDI resin, although a small amount of EMDI resin was mixed with UF resin. Especially bending MOR after 24 hours cold water-immersion and thickness swelling after 2 hours hot water-immersion of compound resin-bonded particleboards were remarkably different from those of pure UF resin-bonded particleboards. It was found that separately spreading method with unemulsified EMDI resin was more effective than simultaneously spreading method with emulsified compound resin to sustain the internal bond strength of particleboards after 24 hours cold water-immersion. In the resin combination systems to outer layers/inner layers of particleboards, water resistance and strength properties were superior in order of UF+EMDI/UF+EMDI > UF/UF+EMDI > UF/UF. And water resistance of particleboards was greatly dependent upon EMDI resin level in any adhesive adding method.

Keywords

• Particleboard;
• EMDI resin;
• urea-formaldehyde resin;
• adhesive adding method;
• water-resistance;
• performances improvement