Bending strength and modulus of elasticity of wood-based panels at cold and moderate temperatures

Influence of the temperature on the bending strength (BS) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of three types of commercial wood-based panels (plywood, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and oriented strandboard (OSB)) was investigated at temperatures between -30 degrees C and +30 degrees C. The BS and MOE of the panels decreased with increasing temperature. Significant differences (p<0.01) were observed in both the BS and MOE of the panels. The strength properties of the panels changed more at positive temperatures than at negative temperatures. For example, when the temperature increased from 30 degrees C to 0 degrees C, the BS and MOE parallel to the plywood face grain were decreased by 9.8% and 7.4% while they were decreased by 12.5% and 9.6% when the temperature increased from 0 degrees C to +30 degrees C. Similar results were also observed for the MDF and OSB panels. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.