Back to previous page
AegisGuard Radiation Shields


MDF is an acronym for Medium Density Fiber. It is not used in the manufacturing of any AegisGuard Radiation Shield product.

MDF is an inexpensive material manufactured from agricultural waste, sawdust and wood chips. It contains formaldehyde and is normally used as a wood substitute for products such as fiberboard and particleboard. Formaldehyde is combined with the resins used to bond the material and is a carcinogen known to result in lung cancer and other health disorders.

Manufacturing MDF involves first reducing woodchips or other raw material to fiber under high temperature and pressure in a refiner. Then thermosetting resins such as urea formaldehyde (UF) or phenol-formaldehyde (PF) and wax are mixed with the fibers as they pass at high velocity though a tube known as a "blowline", which connects the refiner to a flash dryer. After drying, the fibers, with resin and wax mixed evenly on them, are formed into sheets and then hot-pressed to produce the finished material.

According to most cancer institutes, MDF must be sealed with paint or polyurethane to prevent formaldehyde being released into the air (a process known as out-gassing). This is necessary because formaldehyde contains known carcinogenic (cancer causing) properties.

Unlike AegisGuard™ shielding products which deflect radiation, products made using MDF rapidly absorb radiation, become saturated and rapidly lose their shielding effectiveness. Since the material that might be used in products such as cellular phone cases or garment pockets must be thin and lightweight, saturation would occur within seconds. The only advantage of using MDF for these applications is that it can be washed and is inexpensive.