METHOD FOR STEAM PRESSING COMPOSITE BOARD HAVING AT LEAST ONE FINISHED SURFACE

摘要

In a method for making composite wood products having a market ready finishe d side, a mat is formed of wood fibers treated with a binder. The mat is loade d into a press cavity formed between two press platens. The first press platen is a conventional hot press platen free of ports. The conventional platen ca n be smooth or patterned to emboss one surface of the finished product. The other press platen is a steam injection platen which has steam injection ports. The press cavity is sealed and the mat is fully consolidated. A first quantity of steam is injected through the steam injection ports into the mat at a sufficient pressure and for a sufficient time to raise the temperature of at least a portion of a thickness of the mat to 100 ~C. The injected steam i s allowed to vent from the mat through the steam injection ports, carrying wit h it trapped air and moisture. A second quantity of steam is injected from the steam injection ports into the mat at a sufficient pressure and for a sufficient time to cure the binder. The second quantity of steam is vented from mat through the steam injection ports before the press cavity is unseal ed.