More recently, fiberboard celebrated its 50th anniversary. During this time, it became clear that the quality of MDF does not go into any comparison with other materials. For half a century, manufacturers managed to improve this material. Today it is available in the form of panels and sheets. From them you can make furniture walls, doors, and veneer any surface.
Material density
A fiberboard is made from fine sawdust. Plates are made of round wood and its waste. At the production stage, the raw materials are grinded and subjected to steam treatment under high pressure. The grinded raw materials are dried and sent for gluing and pressing.
The density of MDF kg per m3 averages from 600 to 850. These values can be more or less. Before acquiring material, it is necessary to determine this characteristic. Quality depends on this indicator, while the wood species does not play a special role. The concept of density is a scalar physical quantity determined by the ratio of mass to volume. The density of the MDF board can be different, so this material is divided into categories and is denoted by the abbreviations LDF and HDF.
The first marking should be understood as "low density particle board". This indicator varies from 200 to 600 kg / m 3 . The second of these varieties is a high-density plate. This indicator here may exceed 800 kg / m 3 . High and almost always the same hardness is possessed by the upper layers of the material, the thickness of which is 1 mm. Deeper density drops by half.
If you perform milling in the reservoir and open the material from the inside, you can see: with decreasing density, the fibers are weaker connected to each other. When processing slabs that are close to LDF, weakly bonded fibers peel off at a sufficient depth. Because of this, bumps appear on the finish. To remedy the situation, additional processing is carried out by grinding and thermal rolling. This may entail additional costs and an increase in the cost of MDF.
Characteristics and application of medium density material
The density of MDF varies from 600 to 1000 kg / m 3 . A connecting element here are urea resins modified with melamine. This ensures low formaldehyde emissions, which can be compared with emissions of natural wood. The formaldehyde emission class is E1.
In the production process, raw materials are given special properties, namely:
- water resistance;
- biostability;
- fire resistance.
Medium density MDF is used in the manufacture of furniture, as well as in the decoration of premises. In the latter case, we are talking about creating economic panels and wall panels, as well as laying laminated flooring. MDF is suitable for the manufacture of speaker enclosures, because the material has a uniform structure and absorbs sound well. It is easily processed and can be used in the manufacture of cabinets, in particular facades with carving elements.
It is easy to process the material, it does not lose chips, therefore it is considered ideal for creating curved holes, shapes and milling of planes of different depths. MDF is widely used in the manufacture of gift boxes and containers.
High Density Material and its Application
High density MDF is similar to low and medium density counterparts. This material has high strength, therefore it is more reliable. The standard thickness is 4 millimeters. Such plates are used to achieve the following goals:
- alignment of walls;
- floor coverings;
- manufacturing interior doors;
- car building;
- when facing the inside of the car;
- manufacturing trade and exhibition equipment;
- hide communications if necessary.
Specifications
The density of MDF 16 mm is 780 kg / m 3 . But this characteristic is not the only one you should know about. For example, an important feature is the ability to undergo pressure of more than 15 MPa in plates with medium stiffness. Another advantage is resistance to microorganisms and microbes. You may also be interested in the moisture content of the material, which varies from 3 to 10%. The modulus of elasticity is 1700 MPa. The tensile strength is 17-23 MPa.
The formaldehyde content may be less than or equal to 8. These indicators depend on the thickness and size of the sheets, as well as their composition. The density of MDF 19 mm is 750 kg / m 3 . This is true for Kronopol brand material. The thickness of the sheets can vary from 5 to 25 mm. If they have a panel design, then they can be:
- leafy;
- typesetting;
- rack and pinion.
The latter are 10-centimeter boards, the width of which varies from 11 to 29 centimeters. The length is 4 m. The minimum length is 2 m. MDF of increased density can be represented by stacked square panels, the sizes of which vary from 29 to 95 cm. This type of material is suitable for creating a mosaic pattern on the surface.
As for sheet execution, such MDF can have sizes from 1.2 to 2.5 m. You can find out the thickness of the material by looking at the marking. The density of MDF is no less important than the composition of the material, in which there may be more than 90% of sawdust. The remaining 10% are formaldehydes and resins. The material has a high probability of fracture. This is due to the fact that the panels are not made of solid wood. Inside, there are no substances hazardous to human life.
Cutting Tips
When the density of MDF is already known to you, you can study tips for cutting material. It is best to purchase products with standard sizes and factory-processed. If there is a need to cut, it is better to entrust it to specialists. In this case, special format-cutting machines are used.
Masters know that blanks are stacked with the back side up, if cutting is carried out on a machine. When starting the saw, the movement of the plates should be progressive and smooth. The teeth are immersed by 1 mm. Proper cutting allows you to get accurate workpieces in the right size. This process is laborious, but allows you to get parts for the manufacture of furniture and doors.
Features of the use of MDF
MDF is excellent for installation on different surfaces. For the work should be prepared:
- pencil;
- building level;
- corner for marking a right angle;
- hacksaw for metal;
- screwdriver;
- hammer drill;
- hammer;
- screws;
- dowels.
It is necessary to start work with cleaning the surface where the fastening will be carried out. The base is cleaned of dirt and dust. A thorough inspection of the material for mold and fungus is necessary. If you plan to make a ceiling from MDF, you will need guide profiles, wooden blocks and suspensions. The bars will serve as the transverse parts of the frame.
But if you plan to fasten the panels to the wall, there will be enough bars of wood or plastic crates. To make the fastening process easier, use kleimers. This will allow fixing part of the coating on the crate, making the task easier. The main difficulty lies in the accurate marking under the crate, which will allow to fix the elements.
Self Tint Tips
MDF boards are well suited for kitchen furniture and are used as an alternative to plastic. You can purchase a kitchen from MDF with photo printing, but if finances do not allow it, you can paint the surface of the stove in the color that you prefer. In this case, you need to adhere to a certain algorithm of actions. At the first stage, the surface is well cleaned, washed and sanded.
Then wipe it with solvent. The primer in the next step is applied in 2 layers with a break for drying. Using a brush or balloon, a layer of paint is applied to the surface. You can use a spray gun, it will cost more, but the result will turn out better. After drying, the paint can be applied over a layer of varnish, which will give the product shine and will perform a protective function.
Material Guidelines
As for the materials used in the processing of MDF, it is better to choose a mixture on a polyurethane basis, which includes water, as a primer. So you can hide the structure of the plate. It is better if the composition is in the spray can. For coloring, it is best to use acrylic paint or polyurethane enamel for MDF. One of the main advantages of the 2nd option is the lack of smell. For topcoat, it is recommended to use polyurethane varnish. You can choose a matte or glossy variety.
Finally
The density of MDF is one of the main indicators of this material. It should be selected depending on the tasks. It is necessary to handle the material carefully during installation, as it has the property of breaking. This is due to the fact that wood chips are the basis. It can be pressed with different densities in different layers of material. This should be taken into account when sawing, because otherwise the material may gain an uneven edge, crumble and lose its appearance. In addition, moisture can affect the plate through the raw edge.