Binder based on oil plant esters for the production of wood and composite materials

By far the most commonly used binders for the production of wood-based composites are the so-called urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. However, these are susceptible to hydrolysis and therefore the produced wood-based materials still emit formaldehyde even years after their production. Scientists at the University of Göttingen, Germany developed a biological binder based on oil plant residues for the production of composite materials. The new formaldehyde-free binder has excellent properties and could therefore replace existing binders in many applications.

Challenge

Currently, mostly petroleum-based polycondensation urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins are used for the production of wood-based materials. With all the technological advantages of these resins, however, a decisive disadvantage remains, namely that these resins are basically susceptible to hydrolysis and therefore the wood-based materials produced still emit formaldehyde even years after their production. It is therefore necessary to provide alternative binders, in particular binders that are formaldehyde-free so that no or only insignificantly formaldehyde will be emitted after production of wood and composite materials.

Our Solution

Scientists at the University of Göttingen, Germany developed a biological binder based on oil plant residues for the production of composite materials. In addition, the invention also refers to a process for the preparation of binders containing further processed pomace of oil plants. The new formaldehyde-free binder has excellent properties and could therefore replace existing binders in many applications.

Advantages

Bio-based binder for production of wood and composite materials.
Products are formaldehyde-free or emit only insignificantly formaldehyde after production.
Simple and fast manufacturing process of binder containing processed pomace of oil plants.
Sustainable production due to use of waste products (byproducts) from plant oil production.

Applications

Production of of wood and composite materials using new bio-based binders that are formaldehyde-free or emit no or only insignificantly formaldehyde after production.

Development Status

Development and testing on a technical scale (rapeseed pomace):

Produced chipboards (particleboard) meet the requirements for furniture boards (EN 312 P2), despite a relatively low degree of gluing.
Produced fibreboards meet the requirements for fibreboards (EN 622-5). Produced insulation boards have the same level of transverse tensile and compressive strengths as those of commercial wood fibre insulating panels bonded with pMDI.

Rapeseed pomace bound fibreboard (bulk density 800 kg/m³).Quelle: C. Pertsch

Patent Status

Patent applications have been filed in DE and EP (DE102019109504A1, EP3953413A1, Applicant: Georg August University of Göttingen public law foundation).