Effects of Nano-Wollastonite on Thermal Conductivity Coefficient of Medium-Density Fiberboard

Effects of Nano-Wollastonite on Thermal Conductivity Coefficient of Medium-Density Fiberboard

Effect of wollastonite nanofibers on the improvement of thermal conductivity coefficient of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) was studied here to find a possible solution to decrease hot-press time as a bottle-neck during composite production. Nanowollastonite (NW) was applied at 10%, based on the dry weight of wood fibers. Density of the control MDF boards was 0.66 g/cm3. Thermal conductivity coefficient was measured using an apparatus based on Fourier’s Law for heat conduction. Results indicated that thermal conductivity was increased by 11.5% in NW-treated MDF boards in comparison to the control boards; thermal conductivity of control MDF was 0.099, whereas that of the NW-treated MDF boards was 0.110 (w/mk). It may then be concluded that higher thermal conductivity of wollastonite nanofibers, spread all over the MDF-matrix, resulted in the increased thermal conductivity coefficient of NW-treated boards. This increased thermal conductivity contributed to better resin cure in the core section of the MDF mat, resulting in improved physical and mechanical properties reported in prior studies.