Performance Criteria for Composite Core Material Used in Laminate Flooring, 1998 Plastic Laminates Symposium Proceedings

A wide variety of core material is being used in laminate flooring today. The type and quality of the core material used can influence the overall performance and quality of laminate flooring. Particleboard and Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) are particularly well suited for this application. Both products offer extremely smooth surfaces and excellent dimensional stability as well as uniform density, thickness tolerance and physical/mechanical properties. Another attribute of these products is their machinability, an important criterion for manufacturing laminate flooring. The Composite Panel Association (CPA) sponsors two voluntary industry standards for particleboard and medium density fiberboard. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards ANSI A208.1 – 1993 Particleboard and ANSI A208.2 – 1994 Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) list the requirements and test methods for dimensional tolerance, physical and mechanical properties and formaldehyde emission limits. Both standards, developed with input from manufacturers, users and other general interest groups are updated regularly according to ANSI procedures. In addition to the ANSI Standards, CPA members have developed additional recommended performance criteria for composite core material used in laminate flooring.