Nowadays, there is no greater concern than whether a panel is healthy and environmentally friendly when choosing a decoration panel. In the global market, plywood has the highest proportion and is widely used, and is the most common type of wood-based board. However, it is often said that small workshops are making plywood, while large companies are making chipboard. What does this mean exactly? Is plywood environmentally friendly? Is it high in formaldehyde? Let’s start by understanding plywood.
What is plywood?
Plywood is made from three or more layers of one millimetre thick veneer or laminate glued and hot pressed. Plywood is currently the most commonly used material for handmade furniture. Plywood is generally divided into six sizes: 3cm (commonly known as triple plywood), 5cm, 9cm, 12cm, 15cm and 18cm (1cm is 1mm). The characteristics of plywood are: good structural strength and stability. Because plywood contains a large amount of glue, it is important to seal the edges well during construction to reduce pollution.
Plywood application
Plywood is commonly used in panel wardrobes, backdrops, suspended ceilings and various other wood products for decorative panels on the backing.
How to choose plywood?
When choosing and purchasing, we should see whether the plywood has bulging degumming, whether the core board has large gaps, whether the panel colour is consistent, cracks, insect holes, bruises, stains, defects and repair subsidies glue paper can not appear; also pay attention to its formaldehyde emissions and strength; should choose a clear, glossy, smooth wood grain panels.
Is plywood environmentally friendly? Is the formaldehyde content high?
Plywood contains a certain amount of formaldehyde. This is because the manufacturing process of plywood uses a large amount of urea-formaldehyde resin glue. As a chemical synthesis of formaldehyde resin glue must be accompanied by formaldehyde. The so-called environmental protection is only the amount of formaldehyde in it.
Plywood is the most common type of wood based panel used in home improvement. Plywood is made by pressing together wood shavings and urea formaldehyde resin. 12 cm plywood is usually made by “gluing” together 3-4 layers of natural wood chips. Each layer is roll-glued on both sides and then hot pressed into shape. Approximately 3 kg of glue is used for the whole board.
If the glue used in the factory contains toxic substances such as formaldehyde or cyanide, then the plywood produced is toxic. Furniture made from these panels will naturally contain toxic substances.
Products made from plywood all give off a small amount of formaldehyde. New products emit the most formaldehyde, and the longer they are used, the less they smell, but they all take many years to fully evaporate.
Of course, when choosing plywood, the main thing to look at is the amount of formaldehyde released and the strength of the glue. If the bonding strength of the plywood is not good, then the plywood will easily fall apart. Whether plywood is environmentally friendly or not is all about the amount of formaldehyde content in the glue. If you want environmentally friendly plywood, try to choose E0, E1 grade glue, especially the plywood exported to the United States and Europe.