MDF - Benefits / Drawbacks

Benefits of MDF

• Is an excellent substrate for veneers.
• Some varieties are less expensive than many natural woods
• Isotropic (its properties are the same in all directions as a result of no grain), so no tendency to split
• Consistent in strength and size
• Flexible. Can be used for curved walls or surfaces.
• Shapes well.
• Stable dimensions (won't expand or contract like wood)
• Easy to finish (i.e. paint)
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Drawbacks of MDF

• Denser than plywood or chipboard (the resins are heavy)
• Low grade MDF may swell and break when saturated with water.
• May warp or expand if not sealed.
• Contains urea-formaldehyde, which is a probable carcinogen and may cause allergy, eye and lung irritation when cutting and sanding
• Dulls blades more quickly than many woods
• Though it does not have a grain in the plane of the board, it does have one into the board. Screwing into the edge of a board will generally cause it to split in a fashion similar to delaminating.
• Subject to significant shrinkage in low humidity environments.
• Trim (i.e. baseboards) comes pre-primed, but this is insufficient for fine finish painting. Painting with latex paints is difficult due to rapid water absorption. Most finishes appear uneven and nail holes tend to pucker.

Urea-formaldehyde: also known as urea-methanal, so named for its common synthesis pathway and overall structure, is a non-transparent thermosetting resin or plastic, made from urea and formaldehyde heated in the presence of a mild base such as ammonia or pyridine. These resins are used in adhesives, finishes, MDF, and molded objects.

Urea-Formaldehyde is everywhere and used in many manufacturing processes due to its useful properties. Examples include decorative laminates, textiles, paper, foundry sand molds, wrinkle resistant fabrics, cotton blends, rayon, corduroy, etc. It is also used to glue wood together. Urea formaldehyde was commonly used when producing electrical appliances casing (e.g. desk lamps).

The product is widely chosen as an adhesive resin due to its high reactivity, good performance, and low price. Urea-formaldehyde resin is a chemical combination of urea and formaldehyde. Amino resins are considered a class of thermosetting resins of which urea-formaldehyde resins make up 80% produced globally. Examples of amino resins include automobile tires in order to improve the bonding of rubber to tire cord, paper for improving tear strength, molding electrical devices, molding jar caps, etc.

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