MDF samples taken by Vaderluck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Natural sources including potatoes help to create new award-winning product
A new biodegradable and recyclable form of medium density fibreboard (MDF) has been created that could dramatically reduce the problem of future waste. Today (31 October), Professor Andrew Abbott is awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2013 that will help him make the critical step from prototype to product.
Almost one million tonnes of MDF is produced in the UK every year. It is a cheap and popular engineered wood product widely used for furniture and other products in homes, offices and retail businesses. However, as MDF cannot be recycled, waste MDF either has to be incinerated or ends up in landfill.
Professor Abbott and his team at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Leicester have developed a new wood-based product similar to MDF that uses a resin based on starch from completely natural sources, including potatoes.
Professor Anthony Cheetham, Vice President and Treasurer of the Royal Society said: “It is impressive to see someone take a material that is commonplace in all of our homes and solve its key limitations. Professor Abbott has managed to re-invent MDF, transforming it into a product that has much more relevance in an environmentally conscious society.”
A significant proportion of MDF is used for short term applications in the retail sector. The use of a material which can either be recycled or composted would be a significant benefit to an industry often criticised for the amount of waste it generates.
MDF is made by breaking down bits of wood into wood fibres, which are then pressurised and stuck together with resin and wax. The resin is currently composed of urea and formaldehyde (UF), the use of which is restricted due to health concerns. Professor Abbott’s new resin means that the use of UF is avoided and therefore so too are the associated concerns.
With the aid of colleagues at the Biocomposites Centre, Bangor University and the Leicestershire-based retail design company Sheridan and Co., his team have produced starch-based boards which have been made into retail display units.
Professor Abbott’s new material is easier to manufacture and easier to work with than current MDF boards.
The practical studies were led by Dr Will Wise who said: “It has been a technological challenge to develop material with the correct properties, but it is a great thrill to see the finished boards which look identical to the MDF which is so commonly used.”
The new material is easier to manufacture than existing MDF as the components are easily pre-mixed and only set on the application of heat and pressure; end user feedback suggests it is also easier to work with than currently available MDF boards.
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Recyclable MDF
- With New Recycling Center Fully Operational, EGGER Now Manufactures Products With Post-Consumer Recycled Wood
With its new recycling center fully operational, EGGER Wood Products, a leading manufacturer of wood-based materials, is further demonstrating its commitment to producing sustainable materials for ...
- Recycling Plastic Into Filament
As far as recycling goes, this is a great effort to keep at least some of it out of landfills and oceans. Unfortunately, plastic can’t be recycled endlessly like metal, as it will eventually ...
- Why the recycling symbol is part of a ‘misinformation campaign’
[Related: How to actually recycle.] Last month, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted a comment about the Green Guides. According to the agency, the use of the resin ...
- System Shock: How to Recycle Items
Recycling is important even in the futuristic world of System Shock, and players have a lot to gain for turning in the random junk they find (or make) all over Citadel Station. With very limited ...
- Recycling is big business, but is it profitable?
The news doesn’t appear to be good for the recycling industry. The front page of the Business & Finance section of the May 14, 2018, issue of the Wall Street Journal carried the headline, “Recycling ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Recyclable MDF
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Recyclable MDF” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Recyclable form of medium density fibreboard
- Medium Density Fiberboard Market to Hit $88.5 Bn By 2032, Says Graphical Research Powered by GMI.
Selbyville, Delaware,, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The medium density fiberboard market valuation is predicted to reach USD 88.5 billion by 2032, as reported in a research study by Global ...
- Medium Density Fiberboard Market to Hit $88.5 Bn By 2032, Says Graphical Research Powered by GMI.
Selbyville, Delaware,, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The medium density fiberboard market valuation is predicted ... contents (TOC): High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Market Size By Form (Blow ...
- Colgate introduces recyclable toothpaste tube; shares technology with competitors
The mix of materials makes the tubes impossible to recycle through conventional methods, explained Colgate. To make its recyclable tube, Colgate chose high-density polyethylene ... one of the most ...
- Medium Density Fiberboard Market To Hit $88.5 Bn By 2032, Says Graphical Research Powered By GMI.
(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) Selbyville, Delaware,, May 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The medium density fiberboard market valuation is predicted to reach USD 88.5 billion by 2032, as reported ...
- Medium Density Fiberboard Market Size, Top Vendors, Regional Status And Forecast By 2031
The medium density fiberboard (MDF) market is projected to ... them with a resin binder under high pressure and temperature to form panels. MDF is known for its consistent density, strength ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Recyclable form of medium density fibreboard
[google_news title=”” keyword=”recyclable form of medium density fibreboard” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
