WOOD-BASED PANELS WITH IMPROVED SURFACE PROPERTIES

Responding to the market trends, CHIMAR HELLAS S.A., a Greek SME company serving the wood-based panels' industry, has developed resins and impregnation syrups that offer improved water and oil repellency properties to wood-based panels. For this achievement, CHIMAR HELLAS S.A., has been cooperated with the pioneering nanotechnology company NanoPhos S.A., located in Lavrio, Greece. NanoPhos developed nanomaterials tailor made for CHIMAR products, while CHIMAR modified the synthesis process of its resins and syrups in order to fit with the special properties of the NanoPhos products. CHIMAR has used the nanomaterials as additives in the glue mixture of Urea-Formaldehyde (UF) resin suitable for the manufacturing of particleboards, as covering materials of particleboards and as additives in Melamine Formaldehyde (MF) impregnation syrups for lamination papers. Tests have been carried out both at lab and industrial scale and the results show that the nanoadditive enhanced CHIMAR products can offer wood-based panels with improved oil and water repellency surfaces. Such products, with new attractive and easy care properties, are expected to find high appreciation in the market.