Particle board has a density of 44.5 pounds per cubic foot, or 713 kilograms per cubic meter in metric. This is close to twice as great as the density of some wood, which is why a piece of particle board is very heavy for its size.
Particle board's modulus of rupture, also called flexural strength, bend strength, or fracture strength, is 2,103 pounds per square inch, or 14.5 newtons per square millimeter. This measures how likely particle board, as a brittle material, is likely to break when under load. The modulus of elasticity is 326,300 pounds per square inch, or 2250 newtons per square millimeter in metric. This is a measurement of how much particle board deforms elastically, or non-permanently, when loaded.
Screws placed on the face of particle board will hold when loaded up to 225 pounds, or 1000 newtons, and screws place on the edge will hold up to 202 pounds, or 900 newtons. This is less than that of either plywood or regular wood. Interestingly, the discrepancy between the face and edge values indicates that plywood is not an isotropic material, since its properties vary depending on which orientation you choose. Since plywood has no obvious oriented grain like that of wood or plywood, the anisotropy must be an artifact of the manufacturing process.
Particle board's resistance to being pulled apart, or internal bond, is 80 pounds per square inch, or 0.55 newtons per square millimeter in metric. The linear expansion, which measures how much a material expands in heat, is a 0.35 percent increase in length for every degree of temperature increase.