Which is better - chipboard or OSB, a comparison of the characteristics of materials and their use

Particleboard and OSB - materials vary quite significantly in their parameters, so the areas of their application are different, although in some cases they overlap. To understand what is better than chipboard or OSB, we will compare them by the most important parameters.

What is the difference and what is common between OSB and chipboard

For starters, definitions.

Chipboard - This is a wood-particle board made by pressing from wood chips of arbitrary shape.

OSB - This is a wood board, for the manufacture of which chips of a special shape are used, which are oriented in certain directions before forming the boards. The plate consists of three layers. In the outer layers, the chips are oriented in the same direction in the plane of the plate, and in the middle layer, perpendicularly to the outer layers in the same plane.

The OSB name is obtained by transliteration of the English name - Oriented Strand wood construction Boards (OSB). Along with them, the Russian-language term and the corresponding abbreviation - Oriented Chipboard (OSB) are used.

Both compared materials are composites based on wood waste. They are made in the form of sheets or plates of different thicknesses and sizes. In both cases, the boards are formed from wood chips using formaldehyde resins. The main similarities between them end there.

The main difference between OSB and chipboard can be seen from the above definition. This is a special shape and orientation of the chip.

Assortment of materials

Particleboard is produced with a thickness of 1 mm and above, in increments of 1 mm. Most often, plates with a thickness of 10, 16 and 18 mm are used. These are furniture standards. The most popular sheet formats are 2750x1830, 1830x2440, 2800x2070 mm. But there are a lot of options, starting from 1800 in length and 1200 in width.

OSB has a thickness of 6 to 40 mm in 1 mm increments. The most commonly used formats are 2500x1250 and 2400x1220 mm, although there may be a variety of options. The minimum size defined by the standard is 1200 mm. In addition to ordinary rectangular sheets with a flat edge, sheet piling sheets are produced that are convenient to use as cladding. When they are joined, the profiled edges form a lock aligning adjacent panels in one plane.

According to their physical and technical parameters, each of the materials is divided into grades or types.

In comparison, we will focus on the materials used most often - these are chipboard P2 and OSB-3 with a thickness of 15 - 18 mm based on the data of GOST 10632-2014 (Particle boards) and GOST R 56309-2014 (Oriented building boards shavings).

What is stronger than chipboard or OSB

The main strength parameters for wood composites are bending strength, elasticity coefficient (modulus) and fastener holding strength.

Since OSB consists of large chips, which, due to their orientation, form a certain structure, higher strength values ​​can be expected from these sheets. But let us turn to the technical specifications of GOSTs.

Chipboards have the following parameters:

• bending strength - at least 11 MPa;
• modulus of elasticity - 1600 MPa;
• the specific retention strength of screws is 35–55 N / mm.

Oriented particle board:

• bending strength along the structure of the outer layers: 18-20 MPa;
• strength in the transverse direction: 9-10 MPa;
• modulus of elasticity in longitudinal bending: 3500 MPa;
• modulus of elasticity in transverse bending: 1400 MPa;
• fastener holding strength: 80–90 N / mm, and for some manufacturers up to 112 N / mm.

OSB plate is 1.5-3 times higher than particleboard in mechanical parameters, although at loads across the external structure it is slightly inferior.

Which material has greater wear resistance

The wear resistance of the compared materials is entirely determined by the surface structure. Particleboard consists of fine chips, which are quite easy to chamfer when abrasive loads. And since the outer layer has the highest density, the wear rate increases with time.

On the surface of the oriented chipboard, a large part of the area is occupied by large wood chips with intact wood structure. With abrasion, it is almost not damaged and is able to withstand heavy loads.

When choosing what is best to lay on the floor, chipboard or OSB, the answer will be in favor of the OSB. However, it is worth remembering that none of these materials is intended for use as the front, finish layer of the finish, so their wear resistance is not standardized, but only determined from practice.

Which material is more resistant to moisture

In humid conditions, particleboard very quickly loses its strength, and with strong moisture completely collapses.

OSB-3, when tested for moisture resistance, is placed in water at room temperature, the bath is heated to 100 for 90 minutes⁰C, stand for 2 hours, and then cool down to 20 in an hour⁰C. After drying, the sample shows bending strength along the main axis of 7 - 8 MPa. That is, its strength decreased by about 2.5 times, but the sample retained the integrity and part of the structural strength.

Fire safety

Both compared materials belong to the same combustibility group - G4. They are assigned to this group according to all classification characteristics:

• relatively easily ignited;
• continue to burn after the heat source has been removed;
• burn with intense smoke;
• flue gases have a high temperature (more than 450⁰C), which leads to ignition or damage to surrounding structures;
• burn out almost completely, with the destruction of the sample.

The degree of fire hazard of the materials is the same.

Environmental friendliness

In the manufacture of wood composites, binders based on formaldehyde resins are used. After completion of the process, these resins continue to emit volatile formaldehyde, which is unhealthy. All composite materials of this type are divided into classes according to the intensity of formaldehyde emission. The lower the class, the safer the stove, regardless of its type.

All discussions about where there is more resin, and where less, which is better, chipboard or OSB in this regard, are divided into figures GOST.

• When the formaldehyde content is not higher than 4 mg per 100 g of dry material - the stove belongs to the class E0.5.
• With a content of 4 to 8 mg / 100 g - the material has a class E1.
• Up to 20 mg / 100 g - class E2.

These figures are the same for both materials, which means that the choice of the degree of environmental friendliness is reduced to the choice of the desired emission class. Materials of class E2 are not allowed to be used in residential premises. Classes E1 and E0.5 are approved for the manufacture of furniture, the manufacture of any structures and cladding in residential premises.

In terms of environmental friendliness, wood-particle and oriented-particle boards do not differ from each other.

Manufacturability

In our case, manufacturability means ease of use. Let’s try to analyze this quality using different actions as an example.

Storage and transportation

Wood boards are stored and transported in the same way. The only difference is the laminated chipboard. It requires careful handling so as not to damage the decorative layer.

Cutting

These sheets are cut in the same way, with the same equipment and tools. When cutting with a hand saw on OSB, large flakes may appear due to the structure of the material.When fine-tuning the shape of parts using a belt sander, OSB may require more work.

Drilling

When drilling holes in OSB, chips can also appear that are absent or almost none on chipboard. For some cases, this is important and must be taken into account when working.

Fastener Installation

Self-tapping screws (screws with a sharp end) are included in the chipboard without preliminary drilling. They are also included in OSB, but this requires a force close to the tensile strength of self-tapping screws. Installation of fasteners in OSB may require preliminary drilling.

When installing countersunk head screws in OSB, you need to countersink pots. In chipboard, in many cases this is not required - the head is recessed due to the flexibility of the material.

In terms of manufacturability, a small advantage remains for chipboard.

Price Issues

Compare the price per square meter of materials of approximately equal thickness. Particleboard with a thickness of 16 mm costs 110 - 180 r / m². OSB-3 15 mm thick - from 235 to 295 r / m². Adjusted for the difference in thickness, we can conclude that OSB-3 is almost twice as expensive as chipboard P2. When compared with non-moisture resistant OSB-2, the price difference will decrease to 1.5 times, but this material is not popular.

Final comparison of chipboard and OSB

The best areas of application for OSB and particleboard

The fields of application of these materials are determined by their properties.

Chipboard

The largest area of ​​application for particle boards is the manufacture of furniture. They are laminated or veneered and, after facing, furniture parts are made. In construction, chipboard is used as a structural material to create volumetric interior elements, to hide communications, to create any structures for which the use of plate materials is natural. These sheets are sheathed with frame structures, used as material for the subfloor.

Chipboard flooring.

OSB

The scope of OSB is shifted towards the increased humidity and high loadings. It is well suited for the manufacture of stairs and any loaded structures, such as ceiling beams or logs for the floor.

I-Beams from OSB.

The main difference is moisture resistance. Thanks to it, OSB is used for cladding frame houses, as a solid base for soft roofing materials, for temporary or permanent closure of openings, for the manufacture of formwork.

Stripe base for soft roofing.

Wall covering of frame houses.