Masonite
Masonite is a wood fiber board , which consists of cellulose fibers, which are obtained by the Mason or explosive process developed by William H. Mason. Compared to the usual methods of defibering wood, longer intact fibers can be obtained here.
Manufacturing process
The Mason process is an explosive digestion process. The process is carried out in a special autoclave with spontaneous pressure relief, the so-called gun. Chopped, peeled wood is used as raw material . The autoclave is kept at an initial pressure of about 30 bar for about 15 seconds, after which the pressure is increased to about 70 bar with high-pressure steam and held at this pressure for some time. Then pressure is released spontaneously. The wood chips explode due to the spontaneous pressure relief. The material is blown into a cyclone through a large pipe through a blow-out shaft and is relatively flocculent at this point, with a water content of around 50%.
The product is then washed and dried. The washing water is processed, wood sugar and hemicelluloses are by-products. Before pressing, some of the short fibers are sieved out and processed. Too large a proportion of short fibers would reduce the strength of the board.
Further processing steps are pressing and conditioning in a climatic chamber . The pressing takes place in several steps. First the masonite is hot pressed, then cold in a high pressure press. The pressing process can take up to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the plate.
In contrast to the production of other hardboard, no glue is used to manufacture Masonit. The high proportion of long fibers gives the material high flexural strength, high tensile strength, density and stability.
History and use
Mason worked with Thomas Edison for 17 years before developing the Masonite in Laurel, Mississippi , in 1924 . Mass production began in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s, masonite was used for many applications, such as doors, roof tiles, walls, tabletops and license plates.
Artists have used masonite as a basis for drawings and paintings, for example Per Kirkeby . The smooth surface is also convenient for making table tennis tables.
Masonite was also used to make the wobble board , a musical instrument developed by Rolf Harris that was used in his # 1 hit Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport . The Danelectro company used it to build guitar bodies.
Its popularity declined over time. Today the material is mainly used for the production of guitars for the Danelectro company and front doors. According to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Masonit doors are considered to be energy-saving, and the purchase will be subsidized in 2009 and 2010 with a 30% tax credit equal to the purchase price.
Masonite International Corporation
Masonite is made and used by Masonite International Corporation , a manufacturer of entrance and interior doors. The company has over 11,000 employees in 80 branches worldwide and is one of the largest manufacturers of doors. The Masonite International Corporation was established in December 2004 by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) for 3.1 billion Canadian dollars bought. On March 16, 2009, the company applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The process has now been completed.
In 1996 the company lost a lawsuit against homeowners who used masonite as an exterior cladding. A fund was set up from which the homeowners were compensated.
Individual evidence
- ^ Energy Tax Credit . www.masonite.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ↑ KKR bids $ 3.1-billion to take over Masonite . www.faqs.org. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ↑ Ontario Superior Court of Justice Recognizes US Bankruptcy Court's Confirmation of Masonite's plan of Reorganization and approves Masonite's Canadian Plan of Arrangement . www.masonite.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
- ^ Jury finds International Paper's Masonite siding defective. - Free Online Library . www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
