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The Effect of Heat Treatment on MDF

The heat treatment turned the boards a considerably darker colour ( a chocalate brown contrasted to the yellowish brown of the untreated boards ) due to the high temperatures and pressures causing charing and decomposition reactions [Pizzi, 1994].

THe theory fo wood says that strength decreases with increasing RH, up untill a point, , and then strength is independant of MC. But MDF strength continually drops with increaseing RH- suggesting that it is not the wood fibres responsible for the failure.

  
Figure: MDF and a clamp used in the mesh housing for the samples. Note the severe deterioration of the clamp, yet the MDF still retained many of its physical and mechanical properties