Use of nanoparticle in the wood composite to enhance the heat transfer

• Main Author: Suhaili, Sabdin
• Format: Undergraduates Project Papers
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
• Online Access: http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/2513/1/CD5683_SUHAILI_BINTI_SABDIN.pdf; http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/2513/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Pahang

The fast growing demand for engineered wood products and development of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) leads to numerous research focusing on process parameter and physical properties of the board. Using conventional process, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is commonly made from wood fibers added with Urea Formaldehyde (UF) resin in a hot press process. Heat transfer is determine during the hot press by which the pressing time will leads to higher quality of the board. Industries are searching for strategies to reduce the hot pressing time, therefore will lower the production costs and increase the wood board output capacity. Thus, this paper will focus on the heat transfer to improve the press time that will produce more quality board. By using conventional method, forming the board needs more time during the hot press as wood fiber is a poor heat conductor. By using the same conventional method, this research intends to make an improvement by adding metal oxide nanoparticles to enhance the heat transfer which lead to higher quality board. The result shows that higher temperature profile observed for board with metal oxide nanoparticles instead of normal board. Higher temperature profile resulting higher heat transfer of the board.