New eco-friendly wood fibreboards

Dr Stephen Amiandamhen at NIBIO is a specialist in wood-based products and has spent many years studying wood fibreboards. One of his key objectives is to encourage more companies to repurpose waste materials into valuable products such as fibreboards.

“Our industry partners are looking for new applications for their wood products,” he says.

It all began when Dr Amiandamhen and his colleagues sought to test whether wood chips and other by-products from wood products industries in Eastern Norway could be combined with a new type of adhesive to create a more sustainable and fire-resistant fibreboard.

A long-standing challenge in fibreboard production has been the binding agent—the adhesive that holds the wood fibres together, as in particle boards. Traditional adhesives are often both environmentally harmful and energy-intensive to produce. Manufacturing fibreboards like MDF or particle board typically requires large amounts of glue, which usually contains formaldehyde. The goal is to develop fibreboards using formaldehyde-free adhesives that require less energy in production, leading to a lower environmental and climate footprint.

In addition to being lightweight and good insulators, it is crucial that the fibreboards are also fire-retardant.

The new fibreboards have been named PhosBoard. Researchers at NIBIO are working closely with industry partners, aiming to provide innovative, high-quality solutions for the wood processing industry.

PhosBoard panels are more sustainable, as they incorporate renewable materials and require less energy to produce. Additionally, PhosBoard contributes to better indoor air quality. Without formaldehyde, air pollution is reduced, creating a healthier work environment.