The properties of Lightweight Stabilised Blockboard panels

Lightweight Stabilised Blockboard (LSB) panel is a product newly introduced onto the market. Research was carried out to determine the main physical and mechanical properties of the panel and to evaluate the effect of panel direction and moisture content. LSB panels have wide potential for application in the furniture industry, door production, transport, and construction board production. Potentially LSB panels are lighter, with lower density and higher form stability than solid wood and conventional fibreboard, particle board, oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood. LSB panels produced from solid pine wood core and High Density Fibreboard (HDF) skins are found to have the following physical properties: average moisture content 8.6%; density 450 kg·m,-3; shrinkage coefficients 0.36% %-1 for thickness and 0.25%·%-1 for length and width; thickness swelling 6.3% after 24 hours’ immersion in water. The following mechanical properties were determined: internal bond 0.51 N mm-2; screw withdrawal resistance 1076 N from plane and 553 N from edge; bending strength 13.4 N mm-2; and modulus of elasticity in static bending 1754 N mm-2.