Particle Board
This is similar to fibreboards, except that the constituent wood is present as small particles and flakes, not reduced to fibre. It can be used raw, when appearance is unimportant. Veneered with hardwood, it is the basis of much wooden furniture.
- Superfine and Bisonboard are particle boards manufactured by Fletcher Wood Panels in New Zealand. They are manufactured solely from plantation-grown chips from thinnings or residue.
Hardboard A manufactured board derived from woodchips reduced to fibres, reconstituted to give flat, smooth-faced, evenly coloured building board in several grades and thicknesses. Being easily workable, it has many uses.
It has been estimated that in 1991-92, Australia imported $41 million worth of plywood, 67 percent of which was manufactured from tropical rainforest timber. Most of this rainforest plywood was manufactured in Indonesia.
The Good Wood Guide recommends the use of Australian-made plywood, manufactured from plantation-grown trees. Plywood suitable for Class 3, 4 and 5 formwork can be manufactured from 100 percent plantation Radiata Pine. Plywood suitable for Class 2 formwork (where a high-quality, architectural finish is required) can be manufactured from Radiata Pine with a plantation Hoop Pine outer veneer.
