A global model for the hot-pressing of MDF

The hot-pressing operation is the final stage in medium-density fiberboard (MDF) manufacture, where the mattress of fibers is compressed and heated to promote the cure of the resin. In MDF hot-pressing, many physical, chemical and mechanical processes are involved; the complexity of this operation arises from the fact that they are coupled. A global model is presented for this operation that integrates all mechanisms involved in the panel formation (heat and mass transfer, chemical reaction and mechanical behavior). This approach results in a two-dimensional unsteady state problem, which involves the knowledge of the polymerization kinetics of the resin, the transport properties and material properties, which are position and time dependent. This dynamic model was used to predict the evolution of the variables relating to heat and mass transfer (temperature, moisture content, gas pressure and relative humidity), as well as the variables relating to mechanical behavior (pressing pressure, strain, modulus of elasticity and density). The model performance was analyzed using the typical operating conditions for the hot-pressing of MDF and the results were compared to the experimental data from an industrial MDF press. We concluded that the model could predict in an acceptable way the behavior of the key variables for the control of the pressing cycle, as well as some physico–mechanical properties of the final product. The improvement of this model will permit the scheduling of the press cycle to fulfill objectives of minimization of energy consumption, better quality of the board and increased process flexibility.