Natural Fibre Board

Last updated
Logo of Natural Fibre Board NFB logo.jpg
Logo of Natural Fibre Board

Natural Fibre Board (NFB), or otherwise natural fibreboard or natural fiberboard, is a registered European trademark representing wood fibre boards produced without the use of binding agents, for instance, formaldehyde-based resins or other synthetic resins.

Contents

It is a European wood-based panel, which belongs to the fibreboards; from the past, it is typically called hardboard . [1] Technically this is a wet-process fibreboard glued only with the natural lignin of the wood material itself. [2]

The trademark is licensed to the European Panel Federation (EPF), [3] an organization that represents all European manufacturers of hardboard and softboard using the wet-process system. These manufacturers adhere to stringent product characteristics and production process criteria.

Manufacturing process

NFB hardboard and softboard products are manufactured by a specialized industry using exclusively pure wood fibres. The production process involves a thermo-mechanical treatment that re-polymerizes the lignin —nature's glue found within wood—which naturally binds the wood fibres without the need for synthetic adhesives or resins containing formaldehyde or isocyanate resin. As a result, NFB products are considered formaldehyde-free, clean, and safe for human health. These fibreboard products are completely recyclable and biodegradable.

The final uses of the NFB boards include, among other things, furniture manufacturing, building construction, and thermal and acoustic insulation.

Products

There are actually two (2) different types of panels produced today. [4]

Environmental impact

Natural fibreboard is recognized for its eco-friendly properties, playing a significant role in addressing climate change by capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the data of EPF, on average, the use of NFB in a single house can save up to 2 tons of CO2, an amount equivalent to that absorbed by a 750 m2 forest area.

NFB serves as a certification brand, ensuring that fibreboards manufactured by EPF members comply with all relevant European health and environmental standards. The licensed manufacturers are committed to the principles of forest sustainability and the responsible management of natural resources. This commitment is reflected in establishing effective wastewater treatment systems and wood dust collection methods and maintaining safe working conditions. As such, the NFB trademark guarantees consumers that the fibreboard used in their homes, furnishings, and automobiles is safe, healthy, and produced with a strong regard for the environment.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plywood</span> Manufactured wood panel made from thin sheets of wood veneer

Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), oriented strand board (OSB), and particle board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engineered wood</span> Range of derivative wood products engineered for uniform and predictable structural performance

Engineered wood, also called mass timber, composite wood, human-made wood, or manufactured board, includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibres, or veneers or boards of wood, together with adhesives, or other methods of fixation to form composite material. The panels vary in size but can range upwards of 64 by 8 feet and in the case of cross-laminated timber (CLT) can be of any thickness from a few inches to 16 inches (410 mm) or more. These products are engineered to precise design specifications, which are tested to meet national or international standards and provide uniformity and predictability in their structural performance. Engineered wood products are used in a variety of applications, from home construction to commercial buildings to industrial products. The products can be used for joists and beams that replace steel in many building projects. The term mass timber describes a group of building materials that can replace concrete assemblies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriented strand board</span> Engineered wood particle board

Oriented strand board (OSB) is a type of engineered wood similar to particle board, formed by adding adhesives and then compressing layers of wood strands (flakes) in specific orientations. It was invented by Armin Elmendorf in California in 1963. OSB may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips of around 2.5 cm × 15 cm, lying unevenly across each other, and is produced in a variety of types and thicknesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medium-density fibreboard</span> Engineered wood product

Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) is an engineered wood product made by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibre, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming it into panels by applying high temperature and pressure. MDF is generally denser than plywood. It is made up of separated fibre but can be used as a building material similar in application to plywood. It is stronger and denser than particle board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phenol formaldehyde resin</span> Chemical compound

Phenol formaldehyde resins (PF) are synthetic polymers obtained by the reaction of phenol or substituted phenol with formaldehyde. Used as the basis for Bakelite, PFs were the first commercial synthetic resins. They have been widely used for the production of molded products including billiard balls, laboratory countertops, and as coatings and adhesives. They were at one time the primary material used for the production of circuit boards but have been largely replaced with epoxy resins and fiberglass cloth, as with fire-resistant FR-4 circuit board materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulpwood</span> Timber intended for processing into wood pulp for paper production

Pulpwood can be defined as timber that is ground and processed into a fibrous pulp. It is a versatile natural resource commonly used for paper-making but also made into low-grade wood and used for chips, energy, pellets, and engineered products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glued laminated timber</span> Building material

Glued laminated timber, commonly referred to as glulam, is a type of structural engineered wood product constituted by layers of dimensional lumber bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives so that all of the grain runs parallel to the longitudinal axis. In North America, the material providing the laminations is termed laminating stock or lamstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bamboo floor</span> Type of flooring

A bamboo floor is a type of flooring manufactured from the bamboo plant. The majority of today's bamboo flooring products originate in China and other portions of Asia. Moso bamboo is the species most commonly used for flooring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masonite</span> Type of hardboard

Masonite is a type of hardboard made of steam-cooked and pressure-molded wood fibers in a process patented by William H. Mason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Particle board</span> Glued wood product

Particle board, also known as particleboard or chipboard, is an engineered wood product, belonging to the wood-based panels, manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic, mostly formaldehyde based resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed under a hot press, batch- or continuous- type, and produced. Particle board is often confused with oriented strand board, a different type of fiberboard that uses machined wood flakes and offers more strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laminate flooring</span> Type of manufactured floor covering

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product fused together with a lamination process. Laminate flooring simulates wood with a photographic appliqué layer under a clear protective layer. The inner core layer is usually composed of melamine resin and fiber board materials. There is a European Standard No. EN 13329:2000 specifying laminate floor covering requirements and testing methods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardboard</span> Type of fiberboard (engineered wood product)

Hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard (HDF), is a type of fiberboard, which is a pressed wood or engineered wood product. It is used in furniture and in the construction industry.

Urea-formaldehyde (UF), also known as urea-methanal, so named for its common synthesis pathway and overall structure, is a nontransparent thermosetting resin or polymer. It is produced from urea and formaldehyde. These resins are used in adhesives, plywood, particle board, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and molded objects. In agriculture, urea-formaldehyde compounds are one of the most commonly used types of slow-release fertilizer.

Wood glue is an adhesive used to tightly bond pieces of wood together. Many substances have been used as glues. Traditionally animal proteins like casein from milk or collagen from animal hides and bones were boiled down to make early glues. They worked by solidifying as they dried. Later, glues were made from plant starches like flour or potato starch. When combined with water and heated, the starch gelatinizes and forms a sticky paste as it dries. Plant-based glues were common for books and paper products, though they can break down more easily over time compared to animal-based glues. Examples of modern wood glues include polyvinyl acetate (PVA) and epoxy resins. Some resins used in producing composite wood products may contain formaldehyde. As of 2021, “the wood panel industry uses almost 95% of synthetic petroleum-derived thermosetting adhesives, mainly based on urea, phenol, and melamine, among others”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiberboard</span> Engineered wood product made out of wood fibers

Fiberboard or fibreboard is a type of engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers. Types of fiberboard include particle board or low-density fiberboard (LDF), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and hardboard or high-density fiberboard (HDF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Building insulation material</span> Insulation material

Building insulation materials are the building materials that form the thermal envelope of a building or otherwise reduce heat transfer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grigeo AB</span>

Grigeo AB - the only paper and wood industry company group in Lithuania, and one of the biggest in the Baltic states. The group comprises the following companies: Grigeo AB, Grigeo Packaging UAB, Grigeo Klaipėda AB, Grigeo Baltwood UAB, Grigeo Recycling UAB, Grigeo Recycling SIA, and Mena Pak AT. Grigeo AB is situated at 10 Vilniaus str, in Grigiškės, next to the A1 Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda highway.

Trespa is the brand name of a type of high-pressure laminate (HPL) plate manufactured by Trespa International BV, based in Weert, the Netherlands. Their panels are used for exterior cladding, decorative facades and interior surfaces. It is composed of woodbased fibres or Kraft paper with phenolic resin applied.

Oriented structural straw board (OSSB) is an engineered board that is made by splitting straw and formed by adding methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and then hot compressing layers of straw in specific orientations. Research and development for OSSB panels began in the mid 1980s and was spearheaded by the Alberta Research Council, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mineral bonded wood wool board</span>

Mineral bonded wood wool boards are building boards made of wood wool fibres, water and the binding agents cement, caustic magnesia and gypsum. Mineral bound wood wool boards are used in a wide range of applications, e.g., thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, indoor decoration, etc.

References

  1. "Hardboard". European Panel Federation -. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  2. "About Natural Fibreboard (NFB)". a new brand for natural products; Natural Fibre Board. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  3. "Home". European Panel Federation -. 2018-06-15. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  4. "NFB Hardboard". a new brand for natural products Natural Fibre Board. Retrieved 2024-08-24.