Particleboard
ASTM ANSI A208.1 · EN 312 · JIS A5908 · GB GB/T 4897
Particleboard (chipboard) is a panel pressed from wood particles and resin under heat and pressure, graded to EN 312 (P2, P3-P5 moisture-resistant), ANSI A208.1, JIS A5908, GB/T 4897 and tested per ASTM D1554.
Reference datasheet — Particleboard is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the P2 condition
Particleboard tempers and conditions
Particleboard is supplied in 5 conditions, soft to hard. P2 is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 5 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lightweight / low-density board | Choose for lightweight flat-pack panels, door blanks and shop fittings where load is low and weight matters. | 6 | 0.7 | 0.09 W/m·K | ||
Fire-retardant treated particleboard | Specify for public-building interiors, shopfitting and transport panels subject to flame-spread codes. | 8 | 0.5 | 0.13 W/m·K | ||
P2Default P2 / M-2 | Default furniture/cabinet substrate for dry indoor use; cheapest and most widely stocked. | 9 | 0.12 W/m·K | |||
moisture-resistant board (MUF or PMDI bonded, green-dyed) | Pick for kitchen, bathroom and laundry carcases where occasional humidity or splash exposure occurs. | 11 | 0.13 W/m·K | |||
High-density particleboard | Use where screw holding, edge machining or laminate-flooring core stiffness matters more than weight. | 13 | 0.5 | 0.16 W/m·K |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Particleboard is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
E0-ENF | E0 / ENF | Certification |
What is Particleboard?
Particleboard (chipboard) is a panel pressed from wood particles and resin under heat and pressure, graded to EN 312 (P2, P3-P5 moisture-resistant), ANSI A208.1, JIS A5908, GB/T 4897 and tested per ASTM D1554. It is the standard low-cost substrate for laminated and veneered furniture, available in standard, high- and low-density, fire-retardant and low-formaldehyde (E0/ENF) versions. Strength is modest at about 9 MPa tensile and 2.4 GPa modulus with 0.68 g/cm3 density, machinability score 65 and a corrosion/decay score of 20, so unsealed panels swell badly with water. Maximum service temperature is 70 C; MDF is the alternative where machined edges and profiled surfaces are required. Particleboard has a density of 0.68 g/cm³ (0.0246 lb/in³), lighter than 51% of natural material grades. Particleboard has a tensile strength of 9 MPa (1.31 ksi), weaker than 74% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.6% and the elastic modulus is 2.4 GPa (0.348 Msi).
What is Particleboard used for?
- Flat-pack furniture
- Cabinet carcasses
- Countertop substrate
- Flooring underlayment
- Laminate core
Limitations
- Needs corrosion protection — 20/100, worse than 98% of natural material grades
- Hard to polish — 15/100, worse than 90% of natural material grades
- Limited ductility — 0.6%, worse than 84% of natural material grades
- Difficult to machine — 65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades
- Limited service temperature — 70°C (158 °F), worse than 80% of natural material grades
Particleboard properties
Typical room-temperature values for Particleboard-P2; bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Particleboard has a density of 0.68 g/cm³ (0.0246 lb/in³), lighter than 51% of natural material grades.
Mechanical10
Particleboard has a tensile strength of 9 MPa (1.31 ksi), weaker than 74% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 0.6% and the elastic modulus is 2.4 GPa (0.348 Msi).
Thermal5
Particleboard is rated for continuous service to 70°C (158 °F). It conducts heat at 0.12 W/m·K (0.0693 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 70% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 8 µm/m·K (4.44 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Particleboard is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 2 kV/mm (50.8 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10⁸ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is poor (20/100), worse than 98% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Particleboard takes about 12 MJ of energy and emits 0.75 kg of CO₂ — more than 69% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 40%.
Manufacturability2
Particleboard's machinability is good (65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Working with Particleboard
Is Particleboard easy to machine?
Cuts and routs easily with carbide or PCD tooling — resin and any mineral contamination dull HSS fast; score-cut or use down-shear bits to stop face chipping, and support edges as the core is weak.
Can Particleboard be welded?
Not weldable; panels are joined with PVA/hot-melt adhesives, dowels, cam-lock/confirmat fittings or coarse-thread chipboard screws (pre-drill to avoid splitting).
Can Particleboard be formed, bent or molded?
Flat panel only — no post-forming or bending; 3D shape is achieved by CNC routing of the surface or by molded (Rigidified) particle mouldings.
Particleboard chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| urea-formaldehyde resin (UF)replaced by MUF or PMDI in moisture-resistant grades | 6 – 11 | 9 |
| paraffin wax emulsionwater repellent / sizing | 0.3 – 1 | 0.6 |
| hardener + additives (ammonium salts, sc | 0.2 – 1 | 0.5 |
| moisture contentequilibrium at 20 °C / 65 % RH | 5 – 11 | 8 |
| wood particles (softwood/hardwood chips,including recycled/post-consumer wood in many mills | ≥ 82 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Particleboard?
Edges must be sealed — apply melamine or PVC edgebanding, veneer or foil; direct paint needs a filler/primer because the porous edge soaks coating and swells with waterborne systems.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Particleboard in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- ASTM
- ANSI A208.1
- EN / DIN / Werkstoff-Nr.
- 312
- GB (China)
- GB/T 4897
- JIS
- A5908
- Similar grades
- D1554
How much does Particleboard cost?
Particleboard is a budget-cost natural material ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Particleboard — frequently asked
What is Particleboard used for?
Particleboard is typically used for flat-pack furniture, cabinet carcasses, countertop substrate, flooring underlayment and laminate core. In short: cheapest furniture substrate; best value under laminate; weak, moisture-sensitive core.
What is the tensile strength of Particleboard?
Particleboard has a typical tensile strength of 9 MPa (1.31 ksi) — weaker than 74% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is Particleboard easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades). Cuts and routs easily with carbide or PCD tooling — resin and any mineral contamination dull HSS fast; score-cut or use down-shear bits to stop face chipping, and support edges as the core is weak.
Can Particleboard be welded?
Not weldable; panels are joined with PVA/hot-melt adhesives, dowels, cam-lock/confirmat fittings or coarse-thread chipboard screws (pre-drill to avoid splitting).
What surface finishes work on Particleboard?
Edges must be sealed — apply melamine or PVC edgebanding, veneer or foil; direct paint needs a filler/primer because the porous edge soaks coating and swells with waterborne systems.
Can Particleboard be formed, bent or molded?
Flat panel only — no post-forming or bending; 3D shape is achieved by CNC routing of the surface or by molded (Rigidified) particle mouldings.
What is the maximum service temperature of Particleboard?
Particleboard is rated for continuous use to about 70°C (158 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Particleboard cost?
Particleboard is a budget-cost natural material ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- GB/T 4897 (2015)
- EN 312 Particleboards — Specifications — CEN (2010)
- ANSI A208.1 Particleboard — Composite Panel Association (2016)
- JIS A5908 Particleboard — JSA (2015)
- ASTM D1037 Evaluating Properties of Wood-Base Fiber and Particle Panel Materials — ASTM (2020)
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, Ch.11 Wood-Based Composites — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2021)
- ISO 10456 Building materials — hygrothermal properties — ISO (2007)
- EPF / EPD environmental data for particleboard — European Panel Federation (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.