What are the characteristics of oriented strand board and its uses? Oriented strand board, known internationally as OSB (Oriented Strand Board), is a new type of green and environmentally friendly board for construction, furniture and decoration. It is made of standard wood as raw material, which is processed into 40-100MM long, 5-20mm wide and 0.3-0.7 thick flakes through special equipment after peeling, and then dried, brushed, glued, oriented paving, continuous hot pressing and other advanced processes to make an environmentally friendly board with unique physical properties.This article introduces in detail the characteristics of oriented strand board and what are the uses of oriented strand board?
What is Oriented Strand Board?
Oriented strand board (OSB) is a type of engineered wood similar to particle board, formed by adding a binder and then compressing the layers of wood in a specific orientation (lamellae). It was invented by Armin Elmendorf in California in 1963. Oriented strand board may have a rough and variegated surface, with individual strips of approximately 2.5 cm by 15 cm (1.0 x 5.9 in), laid unevenly across each other, and in a variety of types and thicknesses.
Manufacturing of Oriented Strand Board
The types of adhesive resins used include: urea-formaldehyde (OSB type 1, non-structural, non-waterproof); isocyanate-based glue (or PMDI polymethylene diphenyl diisocyanate-based) in internal areas and melamine-urea-formaldehyde or phenolic resin glue on the surface (OSB type 2, structural, surface waterproofing); phenolic resin (OSB type 3 and 4, structural, for humid and outdoor environments).
The layers are formed by shredding the wood into strips that are screened and then oriented on belts or wire mesh. The mat is made on a forming line. The strips of the outer layers are aligned with the strength axis of the panel, while the inner layers are perpendicular. The number of layers placed depends in part on the thickness of the panel, but is limited by the equipment installed at the manufacturing site. The thickness of the individual layers can also vary to provide different finished panel thicknesses (typically, a 15 cm (5.9 in) layer will produce a 15 mm (0.59 in) panel thickness). The mat is placed in a hot press to compress the sheets and bond them by heat activating and curing the resin that has been applied to the sheets. The individual panels are then cut from the mat to finished size. Most of the world’s oriented strand board is made in large production facilities in the United States and Canada.
Types of Oriented Strand Board
EN300 defines five grades of OSB based on mechanical properties and relative moisture resistance:
- OSB/0 – no added formaldehyde.
- OSB/1 – general purpose boards for use in dry conditions and boards for interior decoration (including furniture).
- OSB/2 – load-bearing boards for use in dry conditions.
- OSB/3 – load-bearing boards for use in humid environments.
- OSB/4 – heavy load-bearing boards for use in humid environments.
Characteristics of Oriented Strand Board:
Green and environmentally friendly
Because isocyanate (PMDI) formaldehyde-free adhesive is used in the production process of oriented strand board, the excellent environmental performance of oriented strand board is ensured, and the quality is comparable to that of natural wood.
Stable and non-deformed
Oriented strand board usually has a three-layer structure, with the upper and lower layers of flakes arranged longitudinally and the core layer of flakes arranged transversely. This horizontally staggered structure gives it extremely high dimensional stability and static bending strength. In addition, it contains a large number of long wood fibers and has a very small linear expansion coefficient. Therefore, oriented strand board has good earthquake resistance, impact resistance and bending strength.
Good overall uniformity and easy processing
Since the oriented strand board is formed by continuous hot pressing, the internal bonding strength is extremely high, and both the center and the edge have strong nail holding power. It is also very easy to process, and can be directly painted with varnish, paint or pasted with veneer on the surface, which is convenient and easy to use.
Good comfort
The porous structure of the oriented strand board gives it excellent sound absorption and noise reduction performance. As a structural member of a house and the main material for interior decoration, the oriented strand board with a low thermal conductivity coefficient can also play a good role in heat preservation and energy saving, making the living environment more comfortable.
Excellent waterproof performance
The oriented strand board produced with WBP waterproof phenolic adhesive has excellent waterproof performance.
Uses of Oriented Strand Board
Oriented Strand Board is a material with good mechanical properties that make it particularly suitable for load-bearing applications in construction. It is now more popular than plywood, accounting for 66% of the structural panel market. The most common use is as sheathing for walls, floors and roof decks. For exterior wall applications, the panels can be laminated with a radiant barrier on one side; this simplifies installation and improves the energy performance of the building envelope. OSB is also used in furniture production.
- Floors, walls and roofs; I-beams; structural isolation panels; packaging boxes; cargo pallets and storage boxes; commodity shelves; industrial tabletops; hardwood floor cores; air baffles and guardrails; decorative siding; on-site concrete forming; container floors; bowling lanes, etc.
- After processing, it can replace blockboard, three-ply board, five-ply board, formwork, fireproof board, decorative board, partition board.
- Lining board between solid wood floor and keel, or base material for composite wood floor.
- Structural board for furniture and kitchen utensils.
- Lining board, indoor panel, insulation board, sound-absorbing board, ceiling, wall board for house construction.
- Retaining board, ditch formwork, pad, etc. for construction.
- After the surface of O.S.B is veneered (single-sided), it can be used for plain board, drawer bottom board, box, cabinet partition, floor board, bed board, etc. for furniture manufacturing.
Summarize
The above is sindodwood’s introduction to the characteristics and uses of oriented strand board. I hope it can help you!