Editing Particle board (section)

== Manufacturing ==
[[File:Particle_board_manufacturing_process.jpg|alt=Particle board manufacturing process|thumb|Jute-stick Particle board manufacturing process]]
Particleboard or chipboard is manufactured by mixing particles or flakes of wood or [[Jutestick|jute-stick]] together with a [[resin]] and forming the mixture into a sheet. The raw material is fed into a [[Wood chipper#Disc|disc chipper]] with between four and sixteen radially arranged blades. The chips from disk chippers are more uniform in shape and size than from other types of wood chippers. The particles are then dried, and any oversize or undersized particles are screened out.

[[Resin]] is then sprayed as a fine mist onto the particles. Several types of resins are used in the process.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=[[George Mantanis|Mantanis]] | first1=George I. | last2=Athanassiadou | first2=Eleftheria Th. | last3=Barbu | first3=Marius C. | last4=Wijnendaele | first4=Kris | title=Adhesive systems used in the European particleboard, MDF and OSB industries | journal=Wood Material Science & Engineering | volume=13 | issue=2 | date=2018-03-15 | issn=1748-0272 | doi=10.1080/17480272.2017.1396622 | pages=104–116}}</ref> Amino-formaldehyde-based resins are the best-performing based on cost and ease of use. Urea [[Melamine resin|melamine resins]] offer water resistance, with more melamine offering higher resistance. It is typically used in external applications, with the coloured resin darkening the panel. To further enhance the panel properties, [[resorcinol]] resins can be mixed with [[phenolic resins]], but that is more often used with [[marine plywood]] applications.

Panel production involves other chemicals including [[wax]], dyes, wetting agents, and release agents, to aid processing or make the final product resistant to water, fire, or insects.

After the particles pass through a mist of resin sufficient to coat all surfaces, they are layered into a continuous "carpet". This carpet is then separated into discrete, rectangular "blankets" which will be compacted in a cold press. A [[Weighing scale|scale]] weighs the flakes, and they are distributed by rotating rakes. In graded-density particleboard, the flakes are spread by an air jet that throws finer particles further than coarse ones. Two such jets, reversed, allow the particles to build up from fine to coarse and back to fine.

The formed sheets are cold-compressed to reduce thickness and make them easier to transport. Later, they are compressed again, under pressures between {{convert|2|and|3|MPa|psi}} and temperatures between {{convert|140|and|220|°C|°F}} to set and harden the glue. The entire process is controlled to ensure the correct size, density, and consistency of the board.

The boards are then cooled, trimmed, and sanded. They can then be sold as raw board or surface-improved through the addition of a wood veneer or laminate surface.