Preparation and Characterization of Demethylated Lignin-Polyethylenimine Adhesives

Petrochemical-based adhesives such as urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins are predominant wood adhesives. In this study, a new wood adhesive from lignin was developed and characterized. The new adhesive consisted of demethylated kraft lignin (DKL), a byproduct in the production of dimethyl sulfoxide from kraft lignin, and a polyethylenimine (PEI). Lap-shear specimens bonded with this new DKL-PEI adhesive system had very high shear strength and were very water-resistant. The effects of the preparation time, the curing conditions, the total solids content of the adhesive, the DKL/PEI weight ratio and the molecular weight of PEI on the shear strength and water-resistance of the resulting lap-shear specimens were studied in detail. Investigation on the curing chemistry of this new adhesive revealed that phenolic hydroxyl groups were oxidized to form quinones that further reacted with PEI. It was proposed that the curing mechanisms of this DKL-PEI adhesive were similar to the quinone-tanning processes in nature.     

Preparation and Characterization of Demethylated Lignin-Polyethylenimine Adhesives

Petrochemical-based adhesives such as urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins are predominant wood adhesives. In this study, a new wood adhesive from lignin was developed and characterized. The new adhesive consisted of demethylated kraft lignin (DKL), a byproduct in the production of dimethyl sulfoxide from kraft lignin, and a polyethylenimine (PEI). Lap-shear specimens bonded with this new DKL-PEI adhesive system had very high shear strength and were very water-resistant. The effects of the preparation time, the curing conditions, the total solids content of the adhesive, the DKL/PEI weight ratio and the molecular weight of PEI on the shear strength and water-resistance of the resulting lap-shear specimens were studied in detail. Investigation on the curing chemistry of this new adhesive revealed that phenolic hydroxyl groups were oxidized to form quinones that further reacted with PEI. It was proposed that the curing mechanisms of this DKL-PEI adhesive were similar to the quinone-tanning processes in nature.     

A novel wood‐binding domain of a wood–plastic coupling agent: Development and characterization

Poly(N‐acryloyl dopamine) (PAD) was successfully synthesized through free‐radical homopolymerization of N‐acryloyl‐O,O′‐diphenylmethyldopamine and subsequent deprotection. The adhesive ability of PAD to wood was studied in detail. PAD underwent substantial oxidation and crosslinking reactions at about 80°C. Therefore, maple veneer samples bonded with PAD powder at a press temperature of 120°C had high shear strength and high water resistance. In contrast to conventional wood adhesives such as phenol‐formaldehyde and urea‐formaldehyde resins, PAD resulted in an increase, rather than a decrease, in the shear strengths of two‐ply laminated maple veneer test specimens that had undergone a water soaking and drying treatment. A mixture of PAD and polyethylenimine (PEI) resulted in much higher shear strength than PAD alone. To achieve high shear strength and high water resistance, the maple specimens bonded with PAD–PEI mixtures had to be cured above 150°C because reactions between PAD and PEI occurred at about 150°C. The water resistance of the maple specimens bonded with the PAD–PEI mixtures was dependent on the PAD:PEI weight ratio and the curing temperature. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1078–1084, 2003     

Mussel adhesive protein as an environmentally-friendly harmless wood furniture adhesive

Recent adhesive technologies have focused on the development of high-quality and eco-friendly adhesives. Thus, there is a gradual shift from the currently used chemical-based adhesives toward harmless adhesives with improved quality and performance. Here, we evaluated the potential use of bacteria-produced recombinant mussel adhesive protein (MAP) as a harmless wood furniture adhesive. We formulated a MAP wood adhesive as an inclusion body type for economical preparation, and we confirmed its harmlessness through the non-detection of volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. The formulated MAP showed sufficiently strong bulk adhesive strength for the dried gluing of wood adherends. We also found that the formulated MAP wood adhesive exhibits robust adhesion in various environmental conditions, including open assembly times, incubation times, temperatures, and humidity levels. In summary, the developed recombinant MAP could be successfully used as a promising environmentally-friendly, harmless wood furniture adhesive.     

Durability of Adhesive Bonds to Zinc-Coated Steels: Effects of Corrosive Environments on Lap Shear Strength

The effects of corrosive environments on adhesive bonds to electro-galvanized, zinc/aluminum alloy coated, coated electro-galvanized, and cold-rolled steels have been investigated. Bonds prepared using a rubber-modified dicyandiamide-cured epoxy adhesive, an epoxy-modified poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesive, an acrylic-modified poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesive a one-part urethane adhesive, and a two-component epoxy-modified acrylic adhesive were exposed under no-load conditions to constant high humidity or cyclic corrosion exposure for 50 days or 50 cycles (10 weeks) respectively.

Over the course of this study, exposure to constant high humidity had little effect on lap shear strength for any of the systems studied. Bond failures were initially cohesive, and with few exceptions remained so.

Bond strength retention under the cyclic corrosion exposure conditions employed was strongly dependent on adhesive composition and on substrate type. On galvanized substrates, lap shear strengths for the poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesives were reduced by 90-100% during the course of the corrosion exposure, and a change in the mode of bond failure (from cohesive to interfacial) was observed. On the coated electro-galvanized steel substrate, the poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesives showed about 50% retention in lap shear strength and a cohesive failure throughout most of the corrosion test. The dicyandiamide-cured epoxy adhesive used in this study generally showed the best lap shear strength retention to zinc-coated substrates; bonds to cold-rolled steel were severely degraded by corrosion exposure. The performance of the acrylic and urethane adhesives were intermediate to the dicyandiamide-cured epoxy and poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesives in strength retention.     

Durability of Adhesive Bonds to Zinc-Coated Steels: Effects of Corrosive Environments on Lap Shear Strength

The effects of corrosive environments on adhesive bonds to electro-galvanized, zinc/aluminum alloy coated, coated electro-galvanized, and cold-rolled steels have been investigated. Bonds prepared using a rubber-modified dicyandiamide-cured epoxy adhesive, an epoxy-modified poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesive, an acrylic-modified poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesive a one-part urethane adhesive, and a two-component epoxy-modified acrylic adhesive were exposed under no-load conditions to constant high humidity or cyclic corrosion exposure for 50 days or 50 cycles (10 weeks) respectively.

Over the course of this study, exposure to constant high humidity had little effect on lap shear strength for any of the systems studied. Bond failures were initially cohesive, and with few exceptions remained so.

Bond strength retention under the cyclic corrosion exposure conditions employed was strongly dependent on adhesive composition and on substrate type. On galvanized substrates, lap shear strengths for the poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesives were reduced by 90–100% during the course of the corrosion exposure, and a change in the mode of bond failure (from cohesive to interfacial) was observed. On the coated electro-galvanized steel substrate, the poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesives showed about 50% retention in lap shear strength and a cohesive failure throughout most of the corrosion test. The dicyandiamide-cured epoxy adhesive used in this study generally showed the best lap shear strength retention to zinc-coated substrates; bonds to cold-rolled steel were severely degraded by corrosion exposure. The performance of the acrylic and urethane adhesives were intermediate to the dicyandiamide-cured epoxy and poly(vinyl chloride)-based adhesives in strength retention.     

Investigation of formaldehyde-free wood adhesives from kraft lignin and a polyaminoamide–epichlorohydrin resin

A formaldehyde-free wood adhesive system consisting of kraft lignin and a polyaminoamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE) resin (a paper wet strength agent) has been investigated in detail. The lignin-PAE adhesives were prepared by mixing an alkaline kraft lignin solution and a PAE solution. Mixing times longer than 20 min had little impact on the shear strength of the wood composites bonded with the lignin-PAE adhesives. The shear strength of the wood composites bonded with the lignin-PAE adhesives increased and then flattened out when the press time and the press temperature increased. The shear strength and water resistance of the wood composites bonded with the lignin-PAE adhesives depended strongly on the lignin/PAE weight ratio. Of the weight ratios studied, the 3:1 lignin/PAE weight ratio resulted in the highest shear strength and the highest water resistance of the resulting wood composites. The wood composites bonded with the lignin-PAE adhesives did not delaminate and retained very high strengths even after they underwent a boiling-water test. The lignin-PAE adhesives could be stored at room temperature for two days without losing their adhesion ability. PAE was the crosslinking agent in this lignin-PAE adhesive. Possible reactions between lignin and PAE are discussed in detail.     

Biocompatible Catechol-Functionalized Cellulose-Based Adhesives with Strong Water Resistance

Numerous traditional adhesives have good adhesion in dry environments. However, non-environmental-friendliness and poor water resistance largely limit their practical applications. To prepare biocompatible adhesives with strong water resistance and adhesion strength, in this paper, catechol-functionalized cellulose-based adhesive polymers are synthesized by grafting N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)methacrylamide and methyl methacrylate onto cellulose chain through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The successful synthesis of the catechol-functionalized cellulose-based adhesive polymers is confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR. The different characteristics of the adhesive polymers, such as thermal stability, swelling ratio, biocompatibility, and adhesion strength are investigated. Strong water resistance on various substrates is realized in underwater environment for the catechol-functionalized cellulose-based adhesive with addition of Fe³⁺. The adhesion strength and thermal stability are enhanced when the catechol content is increased. The adhesive with catechol content of 25.4% shows the adhesion strength of 0.45 MPa for iron substrate in underwater environment. In addition, the adhesive with addition of Fe³⁺ exhibits excellent adhesion in dry environment, with maximum adhesion strength of 3.50 MPa for iron substrate. The cell culture test shows that the adhesive polymers have excellent biocompatibility. The biocompatible adhesives with strong water resistance have potential application in electronic, wood, and building fields.     

Plant Polyphenol-Inspired Crosslinking Strategy toward High Bonding Strength and Mildew Resistance for Soy Protein Adhesives

Soybean protein adhesives are environmentally friendly biomass-based aldehyde-free adhesives that have good economic value for the wood industry; however, it remains challenging to produce soybean protein adhesives with excellent water resistance, toughness, and mildew resistance through a simple modification method. In this work, inspired by plant polyphenols, a novel crosslinked soybean meal adhesive (SMPT) is obtained using a facile economic method. Polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) and tannic acid (TA) are combined with a soybean meal matrix to form a tough co-crosslinked network through strong intermolecular forces (covalent bonds, ionic bonds, and hydrogen bonds) in adhesive system. The results show that the wet bonding strength of SMPT adhesives for plywood is 134.1% higher than the unmodified soybean meal adhesive. The adhesion properties met the standard requirements for interior-use plywood. And the compact cross-linking network structure is accelerated the greater energy dissipation, which improves the toughness of adhesive. Moreover, cationic azetidinium groups in PAE and phenol hydroxyl groups in TA synergistically not only exhibit the good antibacterial activities but also improve mildew resistance for SMPT adhesives. This facile strategy provides an economic sustainable method to prepare high-performance environmentally friendly wood adhesives.     

Wheat gluten fractions as wood adhesives—glutenins versus gliadins

Plant proteins, such as wheat gluten, constitute attractive raw materials for sustainable wood adhesives. In this study, alkaline water dispersions of the protein classes of wheat gluten, glutenin, and gliadin were used as adhesives to bond together wood substrates of beech. The aim of the study is to measure the tensile shear strength of the wood substrates to compare the adhesive performance of glutenin and gliadin and to investigate the influence of application method and penetration of the dispersions into the wood material. A sodium hydroxide solution (0.1M) was used as dispersing and denaturing agent. Dispersions with different protein concentrations and viscosities were used, employing wheat gluten dispersions as references. Two different application methods, a press temperature of 110°C and a press time of 15 min, were employed. The tensile shear strength and water resistance of the wood substrates were compared, using a slightly modified version of the European Standard EN 204. The bond lines of the substrates were examined by optical microscopy to study the penetration and bond‐line thickness. The results reveal that the adhesive properties of gliadin are inferior to that of both glutenin and wheat gluten, especially in terms of water resistance. However, the tensile shear strength and the water resistance of gliadin are significantly improved when over‐penetration of the protein into the wood material is avoided, rendering the adhesive performance of gliadin equal to that of glutenin and wheat gluten. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Evaluation of block shear properties of selected extreme‐pH structural adhesives by short‐term exposure test

Nine structural adhesives with varying pH were selected to examine the effect of adhesive pH on wood–adhesive bond quality. The adhesives evaluated included four highly alkaline phenol–formaldehyde, one intermediate pH phenol–resorcinol–formaldehyde, two acidic melamine–urea–formaldehyde, and two acidic melamine–formaldehyde resins. Block shear specimens were prepared using Douglas‐fir and black spruce wood. The adhesive performance was evaluated by measuring the shear properties (strength and wood failure) of the specimens tested at the dry and vacuum–pressure–redry (VPD) conditions. Adhesive pH, test condition, and wood species showed significant effects on shear properties. The different adhesives performed differently at the dry and VPD conditions. The high‐pH adhesives (phenol–formaldehyde and phenol–resorcinol–formaldehyde) showed similar high wood failures at both test conditions and performed better than the low‐pH adhesives (melamine–formaldehyde and melamine–urea–formaldehyde), especially after the VPD conditioning. The low‐pH adhesives showed high wood failure at the dry condition, but wood failure decreased significantly after VPD conditioning for both species, indicating that the low‐pH adhesives were less durable than the high‐pH adhesives. High‐pH adhesives did not have a negative impact on the strength of the bonded specimens. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Investigation of epoxy-based wood adhesives

Cold-set epoxy-based wood adhesives were investigated for production of exterior plywood. Effective adhesives were composed of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BPADGE), polyamidoamine (PAA), and polyethylenimine (PEI). Three-ply plywood panels were prepared with BPADGE–PAA–PEI adhesives and evaluated for their strengths and water resistance in accordance with a standard for exterior plywood. The effect of BPADGE/(PAA + PEI) weight ratio, PAA/PEI weight ratio, the mixing time for preparing the adhesive, and the pressing time for making plywood panels on the water resistance and the shear strengths of the plywood panels was investigated. The pot life of the adhesive was also measured. Plywood panels made with the BPADGE–PAA–PEI adhesives met the industrial requirements for exterior applications. Adhesion mechanisms are discussed in detail. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47741.     

Polyetherimide Adhesive

High-temperature adhesives which can be adhered at adhesive temperatures lower than those of conventional polyimide adhesives were investigated. Polyetherimide (PEI), developed by General Electric Co., is one such promising low curing temperature adhesive because it melts at temperatures lower than those used for conventional polyimides. Lap shear adhesive strength was investigated in a 75 μm-thick PEI film using steel test pieces. 350 kgf/cm² was achieved after curing for 1 hour at 270°C and 150 kgf/cm² was achieved at the test temperature of 200°C. PEI adhesive dissolved by N, N-dimethylformamide exhibited a high adhesive strength of 240 kgf/cm² after curing for 2 hours at 200°C. In addition, it was found that PEI could be used at much lower adhesive pressures than those of conventional polyimide adhesives.     

Adhesive bonding of acetylated wood

Eighteen thermoplastic and thermosetting adhesives, including emulsion polymer-isocyanates, polyurethane, moisture-curing hot-melt, polyvinyl acetates, neoprene and waterborn contacts, casein, epoxy, melamine, ureas, resorcinol, phenol-resorcinols, and phenolics, were tested for their adhesion to yellow-poplar wood acetylated to 0, 8, 14 and 20 weight percent gains. Effectiveness of adhesion was determined by measuring shear strength and wood failure in a dry condition and after saturation with water. Adhesion was reduced to varying degrees in proportion to the compatibility of the adhesive with the amount of non-pollar, hydrophobic acetate groups in the acetylated wood. Seven of the adhesives developed bonds of high integrity at all levels of acetylation when tested in the dry condition. Two room-temperature-setting adhesives, one a resorcinol-formaldehyde and the other a phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde, together with a hot-setting acid-catalysed phenol-formaldehyde, developed bonds of high strength and resulted in wood failure at all levels of acetylation when tested in the water-saturated condition.     

Synthesis and characterization of lignin-polyurethane based wood adhesive

The present work aims to evaluate the influence of addition of kraft lignin in moisture curing polyurethane (PU) based wood adhesives. The mechanical, thermal properties and chemical structure of the adhesive were studied. The lignin-PU adhesives were obtained by replacing 1%, 3% and 5% of polypropylene glycol (PPG) by Kraft lignin and further reacted with monomeric diphenylmethanediisocyanate (MDI). The aliphatic hydroxyl level of lignin was not taken into consideration in the stoichiometry, in order to find out effect on % free NCO of the final product. The chemical structure of the synthesized lignin-PU adhesives were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The lap shear strength of the adhesives was tested by bonding canarium wood substrates. The results illustrated that by increasing the weight % of lignin in such lignin-PU adhesives, a decrease in the free isocyanate content, leading to slower setting time but higher shear strength values, were observed. Similarly, the thermal properties of lignin-PU adhesive were also studied, showing an increase in glass transition temperature (Tg) with increase in lignin content.     

Studies on the adhesion behavior of water-based adhesives blended with asan gum

The influence of asan gum, a locally available waste material obtained from the Terminalia alata tree, in blends with waterborne natural rubber adhesive and poly(vinyl acetate), on the lap shear strength and the peel strength has been investigated. Both the strength values increase, even with a small quantity of the gum. At a higher gum content, both these parameters, however, decrease. Fourier Transform Infrared studies reveal that there is no covalent bonding between the gum and the adhesives, although some hydrogen bonding exists in the poly(vinyl acetate) blend. Morphological studies reveal mechanical interlocking of the adhesive in the substrates. The pseudoplastic nature of the gum-modified waterborne adhesives has been confirmed from rheological studies using a Brookfield viscometer. The higher lap shear and peel strength values of the gum-modified adhesives compared to the control adhesives are attributed to the higher shear modulus of the former. The 100% modulus and tensile strength of the adhesives blended with the gum are also higher, compared to their controls.     

Enhanced adhesion of novel biomass-based biomimetic adhesives using polyaspartamide derivative with lignin

With the decreasing of petrochemical resources and the increasing severity environmental pollution, the development of environmentally friendly adhesive technology using renewable resources has attracted more and more attention. Inspired by mussels, a novel biomimetic adhesive synthesized using polyaspartamide derivative (PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA)) and alkali lignin (AL). The physical/chemical structure and properties were examined by ¹H-NMR, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, water absorption, in vitro cytotoxicity, lap shear tensile, and three-point bending tests. The adhesive capacity was improved significantly when AL added into PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA). The lap shear tensile for four different substrates (metal and plastic) both increased greatly. The underwater adhesion test possessed good underwater adhesion properties. The results confirmed that hydrogen bonds and chain entanglement were formed between PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA) and AL. It was the introduction of catechol groups and physical–chemical interactions between PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA) and AL improved the adhesion strength and water resistance of the adhesive. Moreover, the corn stover non-wood boards were prepared by one-step hot pressing using PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA) with AL adhesives. The three-point bending of corn stover non-wood boards increased from 5.00 ± 0.03 to 14.85 ± 20.1 MPa. Overall, this work shows that a nontoxic, environmentally friendly PolyAspAm(DOPA/OA) with AL adhesive has extensive application prospects.     

Bonding performance of melamine-urea-formaldehyde and phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde adhesives in interior grade glulam

Wood moisture content (MC) affects the glued laminated beam (glulam) bonding strength. Selected adhesives were Phenol-Resorcinol-Formaldehyde (PRF) and Melamine-Urea-Formaldehyde (MUF) adhesives with 1, 1.5 and 2% (w/w) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) formic acid solutions. Douglas fir (pseudotsuga menziesii) from North America was used in the test. The bonding behavior of these adhesives with wood at 12 and 18% MC were investigated. The study focused on the effect of 18% MC on shear strength performance of MUF and PRF adhesives and optimizing the formula of CMC formic acid solution. Compressive shear strength of wood with MUF adhesive with 2% (w/w) formic acid solution at 12 and 18% MC stabilized at 10.6 and 10.0 MPa, respectively, which were 17 and 16% higher than that with PRF adhesive at the same condition. At 12–18% MC, MC had a little effect on bonding strength. However, 18% MC wood with PRF adhesive had 52.2% less initial strength increasing rate than that of 12% MC wood. 18% MC wood with MUF adhesives with 1, 1.5 and 2% (w/w) CMC formic acid solutions had 16.0, 15.5 and 27.0% less initial strength increasing rates than that of 12% MC wood, respectively. MUF adhesive using 2% CMC formic solution required the shortest press time at 12 and 18% MC about 1.6 and 2.7 h, respectively. The strength of PRF adhesive was significantly affected by wood MC and enough press time is essential for the proper bonding strength.     

Rubber solution adhesives for wood-to-wood bonding

Rubber solutions were prepared and used for bonding wood pieces. The effect of the variation of chlorinated natural rubber (CNR) and phenolformaldehyde (PF) resin in the adhesive solutions on lap shear strength was determined. Natural rubber and neoprene-based adhesive solutions were compared for their lap shear strength. The storage stability of the adhesive prepared was determined. The change in lap shear strength before and after being placed in cold water, hot water, acid, and alkali was tested. The bonding character of these adhesives was compared with different commercially available solution adhesives. The room-temperature aging resistance of wood joints was also determined. In all the studies, the adhesive prepared in the laboratory was found to be superior compared to the commercial adhesives. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68: 1185–1189, 1998     

Eco-economical polyurethane wood adhesives from cellulosic waste: Synthesis, characterization and adhesion study

This study reports the preparation of polyurethane adhesives using polyols obtained from cellulosic waste and detailed study on its adhesive strength in wood joints. Keeping in view the environmental hazards related to the huge paper-waste generation across the world, low-viscosity polyols have been prepared using magazine paper waste and vegetable oils with different physicochemical properties and were used to prepare two-component polyurethane adhesives for wood bonding. Polyurethane was analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy and TGA was used for the analysis of thermal properties. The adhesive strength was measured and compared with commercially available adhesives under different environmental conditions. The synthesized adhesive with NCO/OH ratio of 1.2 and curing time of 5 days was found to be superior to the commercial adhesives Fevicol™ and Araldite™ when compared simultaneously for the single-lap shear strength in different environmental conditions.