Particleboard

Particleboard (chipboard) is made by mixing wood chips with glue and pressing them into panels in a hot press. In Turkey it is commonly called sunta, a former brand name that became the everyday word for the material, and the melamine-faced version is known as suntalam. Cabinet carcasses, shelves, office furniture and budget kitchen units are largely made from it.

Why it is so widespread

Particleboard puts the leftovers of the timber industry to use and is economical. It is produced in large, flat and stable sheets; unlike solid wood, it does not move, bow or twist. Melamine-faced boards come in a wide range of plain colors and wood patterns and need no painting or finishing. Once cut and edge-banded, panels are ready to assemble.

Limits and precautions

• Moisture: exposed edges or wet panels swell and crumble. Every cut edge should be sealed with edge banding, and moisture-resistant grades used in wet areas.
• Fixings: because the core is loose, screws hold less well than in MDF, so furniture fittings and dowels are chosen to suit.
• Machining: edges cannot be routed into profiles and carved details do not come out clean. For moulded or lacquered doors, MDF is the better choice.
• Shelf sag: long shelves can sag over time, so span and thickness need to be considered together.

In visualization, it is not the board itself but the color and pattern of the melamine face that gets modeled. Edge banding at a true thickness and slightly softened corners make furniture look like real manufactured pieces in a render.