One. What are the causes of mold growth on plywood?
1、Water content influence
- High moisture content is a major cause of fungal growth in plywood. Excessive moisture not only makes plywood susceptible to fungal growth but also increases the likelihood of plywood delamination, directly affecting the structural strength of the finished plywood. The main factors that influence the moisture content of finished plywood during production include: the humidity of the individual panels, the water content of the adhesive, the pre-heating time, the pressing time, and the holding time.
Currently, many manufacturers prioritize increasing production efficiency or are affected by weather and equipment factors, which often leads to a lack of attention to the moisture content of individual boards. While the advantages of this method include high efficiency, some workers shorten the pre-heating, pressing, and curing time to improve production efficiency, thereby neglecting product quality. This directly results in the inability to ensure the fundamental moisture content of the finished plywood.
2、Nutrients
The level of nutrients present will directly affect the second factor determining the mold growth on the plywood. Excessive nutrients not only make the plywood susceptible to mold growth but also lead to insect infestation.
The primary source of excessive nutrients in the wood adhesive is flour. Due to the continued increase in the prices of urea and polyvinyl alcohol, many manufacturers are significantly reducing the content of the adhesive and using large amounts of flour as a filler to reduce costs. This practice creates potential problems for future mold and insect growth in the wood adhesive.
3、Oxygen
The presence of oxygen is also one of the causes of mold and discoloration in plywood. However, it is practically impossible to completely eliminate oxygen, so many domestic plywood dealers and manufacturers commonly use methods such as spraying or soaking wood in water for extended periods to prevent mold growth. This treatment method is only applicable to wood.
Two. How to handle mold growth on plywood.
1、For minor mold growth, surface mold spots, and similar products, simply apply a wood mold remover.
2. For products with severe mold growth, moldy surfaces, or mold that has penetrated the product's interior, mix with water according to a 1:1 ratio and soak. Alternatively, use a brush to apply the mold remover evenly several times until the mold is gone.