Influence of Pressing Speed and Adhesive Content on the Physical and Mechanical Performance of Pine-Oak Based MDF Panels

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of pressing speed and adhesive content on the physical and mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels produced from pine-oak fiber mixtures. Panels were manufactured under industrial conditions using the available production settings, including pressing speeds of 400 and 420 mm/s and adhesive content levels of 10.7% and 11.2%. The evaluated properties included density, modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond strength (IB), surface soundness, screw withdrawal resistance, thickness swelling (TS), and water absorption (WA). The results showed that density varied significantly among the groups (p<0.05), with lower values obtained at lower pressing speed. Internal bond strength was significantly higher at the lower pressing speed, whereas screw withdrawal resistance was significantly higher at the higher pressing speed. In contrast, MOR, surface soundness, thickness swelling, and water absorption were not significantly affected by the investigated production conditions (p>0.05), while MOE showed a limited but statistically significant variation (p<0.05). Although density differed among the groups, the results indicate that panel performance cannot be explained by density alone, and that pressing conditions play a dominant role in determining mechanical behaviour. In conclusion, under the investigated conditions, pressing speed had a more pronounced influence on the balance between core integrity and screw holding performance in MDF panels than variations in adhesive content. However, no consistent improvement associated with the higher adhesive content was observed under the available production conditions. 

Keywords

• Adhesive content
• internal bond strength
• medium-density fibreboard
• pressing speed
• screw withdrawal

Thanks

The authors gratefully acknowledge Kastamonu Entegre Ağaç Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Adana Plant) for their valuable industrial support in the production and analysis of the MDF panels used in this study.

Çam-Meşe Esaslı MDF Levhaların Fiziksel ve Mekanik Performansı Üzerinde Pres Hızı ve Tutkal Oranının Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, çam-meşe lif karışımından endüstriyel koşullarda üretilen orta yoğunluklu lif levhaların (MDF) fiziksel ve mekanik özellikleri üzerine farklı pres hızı ve tutkal oranı koşullarının etkileri incelenmiştir. Levhalar, üretim sürecinde mevcut olan koşullar kapsamında 400 ve 420 mm/s pres hızları ile %10,7 ve %11,2 tutkal oranları kullanılarak üretilmiştir. Çalışmada yoğunluk, eğilme direnci (MOR), elastikiyet modülü (MOE), iç yapışma direnci (IB), yüzey sağlamlığı, vida tutma direnci, kalınlığına şişme (TS) ve su alma (WA) özellikleri değerlendirilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, yoğunluk değerlerinin gruplar arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık gösterdiğini (p<0,05) ve düşük pres hızında daha düşük yoğunluk değerleri elde edildiğini ortaya koymuştur. İç yapışma direnci düşük pres hızında anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek bulunurken, vida tutma direncinin yüksek pres hızında anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Buna karşılık MOR, yüzey sağlamlığı, kalınlığına şişme ve su alma değerleri incelenen üretim koşullarından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde etkilenmezken (p>0,05), MOE değerlerinde sınırlı ancak istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık belirlenmiştir (p<0,05). Yoğunluk değerleri gruplar arasında farklılık göstermesine rağmen, levha performansının yalnızca yoğunlukla açıklanamayacağı ve pres koşullarının mekanik davranış üzerinde belirleyici bir rol oynadığı anlaşılmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, incelenen koşullar altında pres hızının MDF levhalarda çekirdek bütünlüğü ile vida tutma performansı arasındaki denge üzerinde tutkal oranındaki değişimlerden daha belirgin bir etkiye sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Buna karşılık, mevcut üretim koşulları kapsamında daha yüksek tutkal oranına bağlı tutarlı bir performans iyileşmesi gözlenmemiştir.

Keywords

• Tutkal oranı
• İç yapışma direnci
• orta yoğunluklu lif levha
• pres hızı
• vida tutma direnci

Thanks

Bu çalışmada kullanılan MDF levhaların üretimi ve analiz süreçlerinde sağladıkları değerli katkılarından dolayı Kastamonu Entegre Ağaç Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Adana Fabrikası)’na teşekkür ederiz.

References

1. Akbulut, T., & Ayrilmis, N. (2019). Some advantages of three-layer medium-density fibreboard as compared to the traditional single-layer one. Journal of Wood Science, 65(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10086-019-1822-4
2. Böhm, M., Kobetičová, K., Procházka, J., & Černý, R. (2019). Moisture sorption and thickness swell-ing of wood-based materials intended for structural use in humid conditions and bonded with melamine resin. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 549(1), 012042. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/549/1/012042
3. Bolton, A. J., & Humphrey, P. E. (1988). The hot pressing of dry-formed wood-based composites—Part 1. A review of the literatüre, identifying the primary physical processes and the nature of their interaction. Holzforschung, 42(6), 403–406. https://doi.org/10.1515/hfsg.1988.42.6.403
4. Çamlıbel, O., & Aydın, M. (2021). The effects of continuous press speed and conditioning time on the particleboard properties at industrial scale. BioResources, 17(1), 159–176. https://doi.org/10.15376/biores.17.1.159-176
5. Colosimo, B. M., Meneses, M., & Semeraro, Q. (2015). On the effectiveness of profile monitoring to enhance functional performance of particleboards. Quality and Reliability Engineering Interna-tional, 31(8), 1665–1674. https://doi.org/10.1002/qre.1699
6. Engehausen, N., Benthien, J. T., & Lüdtke, J. (2025). Investigation on the influence of particle size and surface-specific adhesive amount on mechanical properties and sorption behavior of parti-cleboard. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, 83(3), 123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-025-02275-3
7. Gul, W., Ahmad, N., Mohammad, S., Salah, B., Sajid Ullah, S., Khurram, M., & Khan, R. (2023). Im-pact of moisture content, closing speed, and pressurizing speed on the performance of medium density fiberboard (MDF). Frontiers in Materials, 10, 1195789. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1195789
8. Gul, W., Khan, A., & Shakoor, A. (2017). Impact of hot pressing temperature on medium density fi-berboard (MDF) performance. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2017, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4056360

9. Gupta, A., Jordan, P., & Pang, S. (2007). Modelling of the development of the vertical density profile of MDF during hot pressing. Chemical Product and Process Modeling, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.2202/1934-2659.1075
10. Korai, H. (2021). Difficulty of internal bond prediction of particleboard using the density profile. Journal of Wood Science, 67(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10086-021-01994-4
11. Minhas, A. H., Ullah, N., Riaz, A. A., Siddiqi, M. U. R., Abualnaja, K. M., Althubeiti, K., & Muham-mad, R. (2021). Experimental investigation of vertical density profile of medium density fiber-board in hot press. Applied Sciences, 11(22), 10769. https://doi.org/10.3390/app112210769
12. Moreno-Anguiano, O., Cloutier, A., Rutiaga-Quiñones, J. G., Wehenkel, C., Rosales-Serna, R., Re-bolledo, P., Hernández-Pacheco, C. E., & Carrillo-Parra, A. (2022). Use of Agave durangensis bagasse fibers in the production of wood-based medium density fiberboard (MDF). Forests, 13(2), 271. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020271
13. Park, S., Park, B.-D., & Kim, Y. (2024). Big data analysis on manufacturing variables affecting prop-erties of medium density fiberboard. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, 82(2), 483–492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-023-02030-6
14. Ramos, D., Ferrando, F., Farriol, X., & Salvadó, J. (2020). Optimization of the production factors of boards obtained from Arundo donax L. fibers without added adhesives. Molecules, 25(7), 1660. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25071660
15. Rodríguez, G. E., Bustos Ávila, C., & Cloutier, A. (2024). Physical and mechanical properties of fi-berboard made of MDF residues and phase change materials. Forests, 15(5), 802. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050802
16. Sarı, B., Nemli, G., Baharoğlu, M., Bardak, S., & Zekoviç, E. (2013). The role of solid content of ad-hesive and panel density on the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of parti-cleboard. Journal of Composite Materials, 47(10), 1247–1255. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998312446503
17. Savov, V., Antov, P., Dudeva, V., & Panchev, C. (2025). Properties of medium-density fiberboards with different contents of recycled fibers and urea–formaldehyde resin. Fibers, 13(4), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib13040040
18. Shalbafan, A., & Thoemen, H. (2022). Influence of pressing schedule and adhesive content on the rheological behavior of wood fiber-furnish mats. Materials, 15(4), 1413. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15041413
19. Tasdemir, C., Memis, D., & Uysal, M. (2023). Effect of epoxy resin reinforcement on screw with-drawal strength of fiberboard and particleboard used in furniture industry. Drvna Industrija, 74(4), 491–500. https://doi.org/10.5552/drvind.2023.0146
20. Wang, S., Winistorfer, P. M., & Young, T. M. (2004). Fundamentals of vertical density profile for-mation in wood composites. Part III. MDF density formation during hot-pressing. Wood and Fi-ber Science, 36(1), 17–25.
21. Wong, E. D., Zhang, M., Wang, Q., & Kawai, S. (1998). Effects of mat moisture content and press closing speed on the formation of density profile and properties of particleboard. Journal of Wood Science, 44(4), 287–295. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00581309
22. Wronka, A., Beer, P., & Kowaluk, G. (2022). Selected properties of single and multi-layered parti-cleboards with the structure modified by fibers implication. Materials, 15(23), 8530. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238530
23. Yorur, H., Birinci, E., Gunay, M. N., & Tor, O. (2020). Effects of factors on direct screw withdrawal resistance in medium density fiberboard and particleboard. Maderas. Ciencia y Tecnología, (ahead), 0–0. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-221X2020005000311