The influence of UF molar ratio on selected particleboard properties

This paper presents the preliminary research results of a project whose main objective is to quantify the impact of formulations and technological parameters on formaldehyde content in and emission from particleboards produced using urea-formaldehyde resin with a low molar ratio of F/U. The formaldehyde content reduction is possible by using a resin with a molar ratio of F/U of 1.065 hardened with 3% solution of urea and ammonium nitrate or a resin with a molar ratio of F/U of 0.96 to which 3% urea was added. For these variants, reductions by 22% and 21% respectively of formaldehyde content in particleboards were obtained, while at the same time, strength properties that meet the requirements of the EN-312: 2011 standard for P2 particleboards were maintained.