The evaluation of efficiency of different waxes on some physical and surface properties of fiberboard

As known, the low resistance of wood-based panel products, especially when exposed to water and moisture in places of use, is one of the disadvantageous properties of these products that need to be improved. For this reason, various water-repellents are used during the production of wood based panels in order to increase their resistance against water and moisture. In this study, two different types of wax were selected as alternative to paraffin, which is one of the water-repellents commonly used in fiberboard production, and their effectiveness was evaluated. Selected wax types were applied with two different methods. Thickness swelling and water absorption values for 2 and 24 hours, surface roughness parameters and surface hardness values of the fiberboard samples were determined. All the results were evaluated and the effectiveness of these waxes was evaluated. As a result of the measurements, it was determined that there was a significant improvement in the water repellent activities of all samples compared to the control group with the application of these additives. In particular, it was observed that soy wax and beeswax used in mixture with paraffin gave the lowest water absorption and thickness swelling values among the groups adding to adhesive. The surface roughness parameters of the samples were changed depending on the wax type, method and usage rate. The highest surface hardness values were obtained in the samples where soy wax and beeswax were applied to the surface in a mixture with paraffin. According to these results, it is thought that these waxes of plant and animal origin can also provide water repellent properties for MDF, and their effectiveness can be increased especially in applications of suitable methods and different combination.