Medium density fibreboard (MDF) is a nonstructural wood-based panel that is composed of wood fibres bonded together with resin under heat and pressure. The board density ranges from 400 kg m-3 to 900 kg m-3. At present, Malaysia has 10 MDF plants producing more than one million cubic metre of MDF in 2004. Most of the MDF plants depend on the supply of rubber wood (RW) as their feedstock. With the declining supply of RW, the Malaysian MDF industry has to search for a new fibre sources in order to sustain their operations in future. Studies have shown that empty fruit bunches, which are readily available through routine mill operations could be used together with RW as fibre sources for the manufacture of MDF. In line with this, MPOB and BASF (M) Sdn Bhd initiated a collaborative research project on the use of fibres from empty fruit bunches and RW for coloured MDF using the pilot plant facilities at MPOB.

Main Research: Ropandi Mamat