Particle board, or particleboard, (called "chipboard" in some countries) is an engineered
wood product manufactured from wood particles, such as wood chips, sawmill shavings,
or even saw dust, and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed
and extruded. Particleboard is a type of fiberboard, a composite material, but it
is made up of larger pieces of wood than medium-density fibreboard and hardboard.
Particleboard’s selling point is its price. However, it has several other advantages,
one of which is its stability. Solid wood is prone to warping and splitting with
changes in humidity, whereas particleboard is not. This stability enables new design
possibilities, without having to take into account seasonal variations. Untreated
particleboard will disintegrate, however, when exposed to high levels of moisture.
This problem is somewhat mitigated by laminating the particle board on both sides
with melamine resin to reduce moisture ingress.