Effect of laboratory-accelerated aging treatment on the ultimate strength of a 4-sided MDF kitchen cabinet

In this study, 4-sided rectangular full-size cabinets from 2 types of medium-density fiberboard (MDF; melamine-coated MDF with edge band and uncoated MDF without edge band) were manufactured and tested. Screws with nominal size of 4 × 40 mm were used for joint fabrication. Cabinets were kept in a conditioned climate chamber for accelerated aging treatment and their maximum load-bearing capacity was measured. Results revealed that approximately one-third of the load-carrying capacity of both types of cabinets (when compared to control samples) was lost after aging cycles. The ultimate strength of cabinets (in both control samples and after aging cycles) constructed of melamine-coated MDF with edge band was 1.8 times greater than that of cabinets made of uncoated MDF without edge band. Therefore, using edge banding and coated MDF in cabinet construction is strongly suggested, as this can improve the maximum load-bearing capacity and service life of cabinets while having little effect on aging prevention of cabinets.