Phenolic resins wood bonding

In 1993, worldwide consumption of phenoHc resins exceeded 3 x 10 t slightly less than half of the total volume was produced in the United States (73). The largest-volume appHcation is in plywood adhesives, an area that accounts for ca 49% of U.S. consumption (Table 11). During the early 1980s, the volume of this apphcation more than doubled as mills converted from urea—formaldehyde (UF) to phenol—formaldehyde adhesives because of the release of formaldehyde from UF products. Other wood bonding applications account for another 15% of the volume. The next largest-volume application is insulation material at 12%. 

Wood Bonding. This appHcation requires large volumes of phenoHc resins (5—25% by weight) for plywood, particle board, waferboard, and fiberboard. Initially, phenoHc resins were used mainly for exterior appHcations, whereas urea—formaldehyde (UF) was used for interiors. However, the concern over formaldehyde emission has caused the replacement of UF by phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. 

Phenolic Resins. PhenoHc resins [9003-35 ] (qv) are thermosets prepared by the reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, through either the base-cataly2ed one-stage or the acid-cataly2ed two-stage process. The Hquid intermediate may be used as an adhesive and bonding resin for plywood, particle board, ftberboard, insulation, and cores for laminates. The physical properties for typical phenoHc laminates made with wood are Hsted in Table 1. 

Recently, a two-part cross-catalyzed system has been developed that takes advantage of both the acceleration abilities of resorcinol resin and ester [179], The term cross-catalyzed is applied because the phenolic resin contains an accelerator-crosslinker for the resorcinol resin while the resorcinol resin carries an accelerator for the PF, in addition to itself being capable of improving PF cure speed. In each part, the resin carrier for the accelerator is not susceptible to acceleration by the material contained. It is only when the systems are mixed that the accelerators are activated. This system is faster and lower in cost than most of the resorcinol accelerators and gives better bonds (in wood products) than the ester cure alone [179], Another variant of the resorcinol approach utilizes resorcinol-glutaraldehyde resins [180-182],... 

Johns [116] could show that isocyanate spreads easily on a wood surface. 4% of isocyanate give panels the results which are comparable to those of boards bonded with 8% of a phenolic resin. The good mobility of MDI is based on several parameters [140] (1) MDI contains no water, and it cannot loose its mobility during adsorption on the wood surface (2) it has a low surface tension (ca. 50 dyn/cm) as compared to water (76 dyn/cm) (3) it has a low viscosity. 

Chowdhury, M.J.A. and Humphrey, P.E. (1999). The effect of acetylation on the shear strength development kinetics of phenolic resin-to-wood bonds. Wood and Fiber Science, 31(3), 293-299. 

Thermosets A number of thermosets have been used as adhesives. Phenolic resins were used as adhesives by Leo Baekeland in the early 1900s. Phenolic resins are still used to bind together thin sheets of wood to make plywood. Urea resins have been used since 1930 as binders for wood chips in the manufacture of particle board. Unsaturated polyester resins are used for body repair and PUs are used to bond polyester cord to rubber in tires, and vinyl film to particle board, and to function as industrial sealants. Epoxy resins are used in the construction of automobiles and aircraft and as a component of plastic cement. 

It has been demonstrated that red oak OSL could be used to replace 35% to 40% of the phenol (or phenolic resin solids) in phenol-formaldehyde resins used to laminate maple wood and to bond southern pine flake boards (wafer-board and/or strandboard) without adversely affecting the physical bond properties. While this pulping process and by-product lignin do not commercially exist at this time in the United States, lignins from such processes are projected to cost 40% to 50% less than phenol as a polymer raw material. 

Wood Flake Boards. This category covers a range of products depending on the size and orientation of the wood flakes used. The earliest product was made in the 1950s using low density wood species, such as aspen and pine, with the flakes bonded together with phenolic resins. Today there are two types of flake board, waferboard and oriented strand board (OSB). 

The potential for hydrogen bonding between a phenolic resin and wood depends upon (1) The number of reactive groups on the resin and wood molecules at which hydrogen bonding may occur (2) The ability of the adhesive to wet and penetrate the capillary structure of the wood ... 

The exterior durability of softwood veneer species in this country has been demonstrated. There have been some difficulties encountered in the long term exterior durability of some Asian veneer species when bonded with phenolic resins. Extractives interfering with the cure of the resin directly or the resin bonded to the extractives rather than the wood cause failures along the glue line. These species shrink and swell more than native softwoods. Stresses are greater and breaks in the wood hydrogen... 

Decorative laminate is defined in ISO 472 but in common usage has come to mean sheet materials consisting of decorative surface papers impregnated with melamine resin and consolidated under heat and pressure with plies of core paper permeated with phenolic resin. In a wider sense the term can be applied to many associated products—including laminates in solid colour laminates with facings such as metal foils, textiles, or wood veneers polyester laminates direct faced boards and composite boards comprising thin laminates bonded to substrates of various kinds. 

The natural product comprises veneers of real wood which have been sorted and joined edge-to-edge (for example, by stitching), and bonded under heat and pressure to layers of kraft paper impregnated with phenol-formaldehyde resin. A barrier layer immediately below the veneer is impregnated with melamine-formaldehyde resin and prevents upward migration of the darker phenolic resin. 

Particleboards are composed of discrete particles of wood bonded together by a synthetic resin adhesive, most commonly urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde. The material is consolidated and the resin cured under heat and pressure. The strength of the product depends mainly upon the adhesive and not upon fiber... 

Modified Synthetic Adhesives. Phenol-formaldehyde (68) and urea-formaldehyde (69) are important synthetic adhesives. Phenol-formaldehyde adhesives (PF) find a variety of applications including bonded abrasives, foundry applications, fiber bonding, and wood bonding. Urea-formaldehyde adhesive resins (UF) are used generally to bond wood products. I will illustrate the modification of synthetic adhesives with carbohydrates using both these general types of adhesives. 

Phenol-formaldehyde type polymers had been the only exterior-durable adhesives for wood bonding, until the recent limited use of isocyanates. Both systems are petrochemical-based. Several researchers substituted carbohydrates for part of phenolic adhesives (1-4) > producing solid, fusible novolak resins. Recently, reaction of carbohydrate acid-degradation products with phenol and formaldehyde has produced liquid resols (5). Gibbons and Wondolowski (6,7) replaced a considerable amount of phenol with carbohydrate and urea to pro-... 

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