Effect of dowels and adhesive types on withdrawal strength in particleboard and MDF

Composite materials and wooden dowels are being used increasingly in the construction of furniture frames and inner decoration. However, there is little information available concerning the withdrawal strength of various fasteners and in particular, dowels in these materials. The aim of this study was to determine the withdrawal strengths of 6, 8, and 10 mm diameter dowels produced from different wood species bonded parallel or vertical to the surfaces of a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) or particleboard with poly vinylacetate or Desmodur (D-VTKA). According to TS 4539 standard, the effect of dowel species, direction of withdrawal, board type and the type of adhesive on the withdrawal strength were determined. The highest (8.35 N/mm2) withdrawal strength was obtained for oak dowels bonded with D-VTKA adhesive vertically to the surface of MDF. This value is higher than the predictive expression that allows designers to estimate the withdrawal strength of dowels.