Chipboard

Chipboard, also known as particleboard, is an engineered wood product made from wood particles such as chips, shavings, or fibers that are bonded together with a synthetic resin binder and formed into panels under heat and pressure. The boards are inexpensive, dense, and have a uniform thickness, but they typically have limited screw-holding capacity and can be vulnerable to moisture damage.

Manufacture involves sizing and drying wood particles, mixing them with a binder (commonly urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde) and often wax, forming mats, and pressing the mats into panels with heat. The panels are cooled, conditioned, and finished. Particleboard is produced in various densities, with standard boards suitable for general用途 and higher-density grades used for more demanding applications. Finishes include veneering or laminating with decorative surfaces such as melamine, veneer, or laminate. Some boards are marketed as moisture-resistant or MR grades, made with resins designed to resist water exposure.

Uses vary widely and include inexpensive furniture, cabinetry, shelving, and interior paneling, as well as underlayment for flooring. Common panel sizes are around 2440 by 1220 millimeters (approximately 4 by 8 feet), with thicknesses typically ranging from about 6 to 40 millimeters.

Properties and limitations encompass easy machinability and low cost, but relatively poor edge strength and moisture sensitivity. Proper installation often requires predrilling for screws and, in wet environments, the use of moisture-resistant boards or protective finishes. Environmental considerations include the use of wood waste as a raw material and concerns about formaldehyde emissions from traditional resins; many modern boards aim to meet lower-emission standards.