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Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is widely used in the manufacturing of furniture, kitchen cabinets, door parts, mouldings, millwork and laminate flooring.  MDF panels are manufactured with a variety of physical properties and dimensions, providing the opportunity to design the end product with the specific MDF needed.

MDF is a composite panel product typically consisting of cellulosic fibers combined with a synthetic resin or other suitable bonding system and joined together under heat and pressure.  Additives may be introduced during manufacturing to impart additional characteristics.

The surface of MDF is flat, smooth, uniform, dense and free of knots and grain patterns.  The homogeneous density profile of MDF allows intricate and precise machining and finishing techniques for superior finished products.  Trim waste is significantly reduced when using MDF compared to other substrates.  Stability and strength are important assets of MDF, which can be machined into complex patterns that require precise tolerances.

Doors, Jambs & Millwork Edge Shaping & Machining Embossing Laminate Flooring Laminating & Finishing

Moulding Office & Residential Furniture Paneling Store Fixtures

Product Standards and Certification

The American National Standard for Medium Density Fiberboard (ANSI A208.2) is the North American industry voluntary standard. It classifies MDF by physical and mechanical properties and identifies product grades. Specifications identified in the Standard include physical and mechanical properties, dimensional tolerances and formaldehyde emission limits. The Standard was developed through the sponsorship of the Composite Panel Association (CPA), in conjunction with producers, users and general interest groups. A summary of the ANSI Property Requirements are included in this Guide, and copies of the Standard are available from CPA.

Third-party certification to ANSI A208.2 is required for many applications of composite panels. For example, HUD and the states of California and Minnesota require third-party certification of formaldehyde emissions for nearly all MDF and particleboard under their jurisdiction.


Formaldehyde Emission Limits

The standard has a tiered system of emission levels allowing either a maximum of 0.21 ppm or 0.11 ppm for panels thicker than 8 mm. Panels 8 mm and thinner shall conform to either the 0.21 ppm or 0.13 ppm maximum limit. To meet the needs of the market many particleboard manufacturers have voluntarily developed ultra low-emitting and no added urea-formaldehyde (NAUF) products, so there are a wide variety of products available today with reduced formaldehyde levels, as well as a growing number of non-formaldehyde alternatives. Those companies currently producing NAUF products are identified in the product listings in this Guide.

In addition, CPA’s Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) program (to which a majority of the North American producers subscribe) requires emission limits equal to the California limit of 0.21 pm for 2009 and 2010.

Finally, various overlays and surface treatments have been shown to significantly reduce product emissions.For additional information about emissions, see the CPA Technical Bulletin “VOC Emission Barrier Effects.”