Plywood and particle board core sheets are the two most common materials used in cabinet construction. Although they’re both excellent options, it’s good to know the main differences to decide which suits your needs better.
Plywood
Plywood features softwood or engineered inner plies with a hardwood face and back. Because wood is stronger across the grain than parallel to the grain, each ply is placed at a 90° angle from adjacent plies.
The plies can be made of veneer or composite material.
Veneer plies are lightweight and have good strength and stability, their thickness can vary and the grain can transfer making it possible for the surface to be uneven.
Composite plies are calibrated MDF cross-bands, which makes the material heavier than veneer core plywood. The chances of core transferring are easy to avoid. It presents excellent structural soundness, a smooth void-free surface, and increased screw holding properties.
Particle Board
Particleboard core sheets feature wood fibers bonded with a resin under heat and pressure. Most particleboard is made with wood fiber recovered from other processes before entering the waste stream.
It is usually a less expensive option, it offers a void-free surface as well as uniform thickness. This material is heavier than plywood and, although having the least structural strength of all plywood cores, at ½" thickness or greater, it is an excellent cabinet construction material. Particle board is considered among the "greenest" core construction due to the recycled content.
Knowing the differences between plywood and particle board core sheets is helpful when you're trying to pick one or the other for your cabinet project. They're both great options and they both offer good stability for the construction of cabinets.