Open Access

ARTICLE

Formaldehyde-Free Wood Composites from Soybean Protein Adhesive

Richard C. Ferguson, Sharathkumar K. Mendon, James W. Rawlins^*, Shelby F. Thames

School of Polymers and High Performance Materials, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA

* Corresponding Author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2014, 2(3), 166-172. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2013.634133

Received 06 December 2013; Accepted 12 February 2014;

Abstract

Commercial particleboards are currently synthesized by blending wood furnish with formaldehyde-based resins and curing them under a combination of heat and pressure. Particleboards manufactured with urea-formaldehyde resin are known to liberate formaldehyde during their service lives. Formaldehyde’s carcinogenicity has prompted the search for environmentally-friendly resins for wood composite manufacture. Soybean protein-based adhesives have been developed as a renewable and formaldehyde-free replacement for urea-formaldehyde resins. Particleboards processed using the soybean protein adhesive matched or exceeded performance criteria of M-2-grade commercial particleboards when evaluated as per American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifi cations.

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