Can you distinguish between a genuine and fake Marine Plywood?

Nowadays, the market is flooded with fake marine plywood manufacturers. For a consumer, it is very difficult to distinguish visually between fake and genuine Marine plywood. 15 years ago, all Marine plywood used to come in dark green or brown colour on the surface while Commercial plywood used to come in the natural wood surface. Although there was no scientific logic for imparting colour to Marine plywood anyhow this system worked fairly. But then some manufacturers started imparting colour to commercial plywood too making is difficult to distinguish between the two. The laboratory testing is too time-consuming and expensive that hardly any consumer opts for it.

Difference between Marine and Commercial plywood

The main difference between Marine and Commercial plywood is in the glue used for its manufacturing. Marine plywood is made of Phenol formaldehyde while Commercial plywood is made of Urea Formaldehyde. Commercial plywood cannot withstand water while a genuine marine plywood is expected to withstand 72 hours of boiling water at 100 degree Celsius.

A layperson can conduct a spot Test to confirm a genuine marine plywood price. Just cut a small piece of marine plywood and boil it in a pressure cooker till 10 whistles. Each layer of Fake Marine Plywood will get delaminated while genuine Marine Plywood will remain intact. This is a spot test which may not give a consumer accurate result but it is sufficient for him to a have fair idea about the plywood he is buying. Sometimes, tiny voids or small cracks may occur during the boiling process which should not be taken as confirmation of fake marine. It is also a genuine process to identify fake marines.