Waferboard

Description

A type of layered particle board made wood wafers bonded together with a waterproof phenolic resin. Waferboard (WB), first made in the 1950s, is type a particle board made with thin, sliced wood chips or strands prepared in thin mats; three to five of the mats are cemented together to form the final board. It is used in the construction of houses and inexpensive furniture. Oriented strandboard (OSB), first made in the 1980s, is a type of waferboard in which the strand direction is oriented at 90 degree angles for each of the 3 to 5 layers.

See Fiberboard, and Particle board.

Synonyms and Related Terms

WB; flakeboard; oriented strandboard (OSB); oriented structural board;

Resources and Citations

• Pam Hatchfield, Pollutants in the Museum Environment, Archetype Press, London, 2002

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• Wood Products Industry specifications at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch10/final/c10s06-1.pdf

• Structural Board Association at http://www.osbguide.com/pdfs/OSBandWaferboard.pdf