Ampan Particle Board
Ampan Pty Ltd
The Ampan particle board is manufactured from rice straw bonded with a unique phenol-formaldehyde resin. The Ampan panel is made from rice straw which would otherwise be burnt to remove it from the field in preparation for the next crop. The resins used have no Volatile Organic Compounds and are naturally non-allergenic which minimises health problems for installers and building users.
The manufacturing process is similar to other particle board processes in that rice straw is milled to a particle size of 6-10mm and mixed with the the resin (10 per cent) before being pressed into the particle board. Testing of samples to date have shown the Ampan panel board to have high moisture resistance compared to other particle boards.
Photography courtesy of Ampan.