Eco-Friendly Adhesives Based on the Oligomeric Condensed Tannins-Rich Extract from Alder Bark for Particleboard and Plywood Production (original) (raw)

Toxic formaldehyde emissions, and the necessity to reduce the consumption of petrochemicals, stimulates the development of environmentally friendly adhesives. The aim of this research was to study, for the first time, the possibility of using condensed tannins (CTs)-rich extracts from grey alder (Alnus incana) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa) bark in the production of particleboards and plywood adhesives. The chemical structure, composition, and molecular weight of the CTs were identified by a 13C-NMR and TOF-MS analysis. Three innovative adhesive systems were studied: CTs-phenol-formaldehyde (CTs-PF) resin; a CTs-polyethyleneimine (PEI) adhesive system; and CTs–PEI combined with an ultra-low emitting formaldehyde resin (ULEFR)—CTs–PEI–ULEFR. The results showed that CTs-PF resin has properties close to commercial PF resin, and the formaldehyde emission was twice lower. CTs–PEI bonded particleboards corresponded to the requirements of the EN 312:2010 standard for particleboards in d...