Lightweight particleboards - manufacturing modification using a blowing agent from the group of bicarbonates

Lightweight particleboards - manufacturing modification using a blowing agent from the group of bicarbonates. Although the low-density particleboards have grown in popularity, due to their facilitated transportation and a lower mass in the assembled finished products, there is still certain constraints in their use caused by limited mechanical properties. These obstacles may be overcome by the mechanism of foaming the polymers that bind wood particles in the boards’ structure. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of using sodium bicarbonate as a blowing agent of phenolic resin used for bonding wood particles in the technology of lightweight particleboards. It was found that the addition of sodium bicarbonate in the amount of 5% in relation to the dry weight of the phenolic resin significantly increase the internal bond strength of the manufactured particleboards.