Hardboard
ABNT standard number 10024:1987

Manufacturers
Producer companies in the hardboard segment have a nominal installed production capacity of 440,000 cubic metres per year.

Definition
Hardboard is produced with the wood fibres glued together through a process of high temperature and pressure. No synthetic resins are used but the hot board is pressed in a wet process which reactivates the wood’s own natural resin - lignin.
The result is a flat, high density panel that offers various options of finish and covering.

Base raw material
Cultivated and certified eucalypt wood is used in the production of hardboard. The choice of this wood species is fundamental to obtaining a better agro-industrial yield.

Characteristics
Hardboard is a panel whose principal features are its high density, physical resistance and chemistry that allow a high grade finish. Hardboard can be worked in various ways: printed, flexed, moulded, machined, cut, and painted.

Finishing options
Natural, painted or laminated.

1. Natural (without covering)
The board, supplied in its natural colour, can be improved through different processes.

2. Painted (gloss or semi-matt)
The supplier delivers the product ready painted in plain colours, wood grain patterned or with a fancy design. The end-result can still have a high-gloss or semi-matt finish.

3. Low pressure laminated
Through a process of high temperature, time and pressure, a paper-based laminate sheet impregnated with resin is sealed to the surface of the hardboard, resulting in a panel ready for use. Panels can have smooth or textured surfaces, in plain colours, a wood grain pattern or a fancy design.

4. Finish foil laminated
A specially varnished paper-based overlay is laminated on the hardboard through a process of heat and pressure. It is available in plain colours, a wood grain pattern and fancy designs, with a smooth or textured surface. There are still other finishing options with high gloss or semi-matt varnishes.

Uses and applications
Hardboard is one of the most versatile wood panels. It is suitable for the manufacture of home furniture and office desks, the backs of wardrobes and drawers, for palletising products in different industries, for wall partition panels and in the automotive, packaging, home entertainment, horticultural and construction sectors.

Maintenance and cleaning
Cleaning wood panels must be carried out with a clean, soft cloth, dirt-free and dry or lightly moistened with mild soap and water, and squeezed out thoroughly to remove excess water. Never use abrasive material like steel wool and sharp objects to clean hardboard. To remove stains, make use of a cloth, lightly dampened with a solution of alcohol and water in equal measure.