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Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)

Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) is an engineered wood-based sheet material made by bonding together wood fibres with a synthetic resin adhesive. MDF is extremely versatile and can be machined and finished to a high standard. As a result, MDF has replaced solid timber as a low-cost alternative in a wide range of applications across industry.

The majority of MDF is mainly composed of softwood, although some brands may contain a higher percentage of temperate hardwood if this is locally available to the manufacturer. High levels of hardwood can be found in MDF board from outside the UK and Ireland.

The most common binder for boards intended for dry environments is urea-formaldehyde. Other binders may be used depending on the grade of board and its intended end-use. For example, melamine urea-formaldehyde, phenolic resins and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) are generally used in boards that require an improved moisture resistance. PMDI binder is not formaldehyde-based and consequently does not emit any formaldehyde. The exact constituents of an MDF board will vary from product to product.