Effect of particleboard density and core layer particle thickness on surface roughness

Surface roughness is an important quality criterion for the finishing and utilization of particleboards, irrespective of whether they are of conventional density or lightweight design. In an investigation of the influence of a particleboard’s density (650 kg/m³ or 500 kg/m³) on surface quality, all roughness and waviness parameters were found to increase with decreasing density. Particle thickness was measured by manually gauging the thickness of 45 particles from each particle type (Thin, Normal, Thick, Reference). The particles were taken from image analysis samples, with 15 particles for each replicate measurement. Further, the influence of increasing core layer particle thickness on surface roughness was investigated, using a large set of roughness parameters and statistical analysis. No significant correlation was found between particle thickness in the core layer and the particleboards’ surface quality.