Particleboard is a highly specified, durable material with a smooth surface that is free of knots and imperfections and can be manufactured to precise thicknesses in various panel sizes. It offers consistent quality and design flexibility, making it ideal for fast, efficient production lines and high-quality consumer products. This versatile substrate can be painted or paired with a decorative surface for use in the production of office and residential furniture, kitchen and bath cabinets, shelving, store fixtures, underlayment, and stair treads.
As a composite panel, particleboard consists of cellulosic particles of varying sizes, bonded together with a synthetic resin or binder under heat and pressure. During manufacturing, additives can be incorporated to enhance performance characteristics, such as improved dimensional stability, increased fire retardancy, and enhanced moisture resistance.
Producing Products with Particleboard
Particleboard, available in various dimensions with diverse physical properties, offers unmatched design flexibility and ease of fabrication. With excellent machining characteristics, it’s ideal for applications like postforming countertops, cabinetry, furniture, store fixtures, and more. Its versatility makes it the perfect choice for a wide range of projects, from flooring to stair treads, millwork and mouldings.
MORE INFO Composite Panel Association More information, plus industry news, testing & certification, policy and stewardship at the Composite Panel Association's website CompositePanel.org | 
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Product Standards, Certification, and Environmental Specifications
ANSI A208.1 is the North American voluntary standard for particleboard, classifying it by density, strength, and physical properties while addressing formaldehyde emissions. Sponsored by the Composite Panel Association (CPA) and developed with industry stakeholders, ANSI A208.1 is available through the CPA website, CompositePanel.org.
Third-party certification to ANSI 208.1 is required for many applications, including underlayment and stair trends. All manufacturers of particleboard sold in the U.S. and Canada must meet the third-party certification and formaldehyde emissions testing requirements under EPA's TSCA Title VI and CARB ATCM 93120 or the Canadian regulations (CANFER, DORS / 2021-148).
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are the widely accepted standardized specification format for communicating a product’s environmental footprint and performance. The EPD for particleboard manufactured in North America offers reliable, scientifically backed data and can be used to directly compare alternative materials. Learn more about the science-based sustainability story of North American-made particleboard and how these wood-based panels that carry the Eco-Certified Composites (ECC) certification label provide verification to high standards for manufacturing renewable materials with near-zero waste. For additional information, see “Panels for the Planet."
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