Difference between particleboard and plywood

Particleboard and plywood are two common types of engineered wood, which are significantly different in terms of material composition, production process, performance characteristics, etc. Here are some of the main differences between them:

What is particleboard?

Particleboard is a man-made board, mainly made of wood chips, wood chips or other plant fibers mixed with adhesives and then hot-pressed. It is an economical and practical building and furniture material formed by processing wood scraps, waste and other plant materials.

1. Material composition: It is made of wood chips, wood chips or other plant fibers mixed with adhesives and then hot-pressed. Its structure is usually relatively uniform, mainly depending on the quality of the wood raw materials and adhesives used.

2. Production process: The waste wood is processed into small particles, then mixed with adhesives, and hot-pressed to form a flat material.

3. Strength and rigidity: Generally, the tensile strength is low, it is not suitable for load-bearing structures, and it is easily affected by moisture and deformed.

4. Application scenarios: It is usually used for non-load-bearing structural parts such as furniture surfaces, medium-density fiber decoration, partition walls, etc. because it is relatively low in cost and easy to process.

What is plywood?

Plywood is a man-made board made of multiple layers of wood veneers (thin wood slices) bonded by adhesive. Its structure is usually to arrange several layers of wood veneers in a certain direction and press them together with glue to form a building and furniture material with high strength and good stability.

1. Material composition: It is made of multiple layers of thin wood slices (called veneers or layers) stacked and pressed together with glue. Each layer of veneer is generally arranged in different directions to enhance strength and stability.

2. Production process: First, the whole piece of wood is cut into thin slices, and then these slices are coated with glue in turn and stacked in an interlaced manner to form a composite material through hot pressing.

3. Strength and rigidity: Due to its layered structure, it has high bending strength and crack resistance, and is more suitable for load-bearing purposes, such as furniture brackets or buildings.

4. Application scenarios: widely used in construction, shipbuilding, high-end furniture production and other fields that require higher strength and stability.

5. Moisture-proof performance and environmental protection:

Generally speaking, high-quality plywood is better than ordinary particleboard in moisture-proof performance. In terms of environmental protection, both should pay attention to whether the adhesive used meets the relevant standards, such as formaldehyde emission.

6. Price difference:

Usually, due to the production process and raw material properties, the price of high-quality plywood is often more expensive than the same grade of particleboard. But this also depends on the specific product category and market demand.

In summary, when choosing what type of artificial board to use, their respective characteristics and uses should be considered according to actual needs.