Particleboard P2
Grade · default condition
ASTM ANSI A208.1 · EN 312 · JIS A5908 · GB GB/T 4897
P2 = p2 / M-2
Default furniture/cabinet substrate for dry indoor use; cheapest and most widely stocked.
Values for the P2 condition
Other Particleboard tempers and conditions
Particleboard is listed in 5 conditions; see the grade overview at Particleboard.
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 |
P2DefaultThis page 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 |
What is Particleboard P2?
Particleboard P2 is Particleboard in the P2 grade — default furniture/cabinet substrate for dry indoor use; cheapest and most widely stocked. Particleboard P2 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). Particleboard P2 has a density of 0.68 g/cm³ (0.0246 lb/in³), lighter than 51% of natural material grades.
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 P2 properties
Typical room-temperature values for Particleboard P2; 10 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are Particleboard reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Particleboard P2 has a density of 0.68 g/cm³ (0.0246 lb/in³), lighter than 51% of natural material grades.
Mechanical10
Particleboard P2 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 P2 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 P2 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 P2 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 P2's machinability is good (65/100, worse than 81% of natural material grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with Particleboard P2
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.
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.
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) | — |
Particleboard P2 — frequently asked
What is Particleboard P2 used for?
Particleboard P2 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 P2?
Particleboard P2 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 P2 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 P2 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 P2?
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 P2 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 P2?
Particleboard P2 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.
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. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.