Aqueous Bonding Composition for Wood-Based Materials

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aqueous adhesives for wood-based materials often fail to achieve a balance in properties such as bending strength, bending strength under wet conditions, water-absorption thickness expansion coefficient, and peeling strength, while requiring high temperatures for bonding, which poses environmental and safety concerns due to the use of corrosive catalysts like anhydrous aluminum chloride.

Innovation Solution

An aqueous bonding composition comprising a saccharide, an ammonium salt of an inorganic acid, and a metal salt, specifically including potassium, calcium, sodium, or magnesium salts, which allows for bonding at a comparatively low temperature and improves the balance of properties like bending strength, wet bending strength, water-absorption thickness expansion coefficient, and peeling strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If anhydrous aluminum chloride is used as a catalyst to lower heating temperature, then bonding temperature is reduced, but corrosiveness to human bodies and generation of hydrogen chloride increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding temperatureVSAvoidcorrosiveness and hydrogen chloride emission
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful anhydrous aluminum chloride catalyst is extracted and removed from the system. Instead, the patent uses a safe aqueous system comprising starch, saccharide, and ammonium salt catalyst that does not generate corrosive hydrogen chloride, thereby eliminating the harmful effects while maintaining the bonding function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a disposable aqueous adhesive composition that can be applied and cured at lower temperatures without requiring hazardous catalysts. The adhesive system is designed to be used once and cured under controlled conditions, eliminating the need for repeated handling of dangerous anhydrous aluminum chloride.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If aqueous adhesive is used to avoid formaldehyde diffusion and organic solvents, then environmental protection is improved, but higher temperature is needed for bonding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformaldehyde diffusion and organic solvent contentVSAvoidbonding temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the adhesive system by using starch and saccharide as base materials with ammonium salt catalyst. This composition modification enables the adhesive to cure at lower temperatures (130-170°C) compared to conventional aqueous adhesives, while maintaining the environmental benefits of being formaldehyde-free and solvent-free.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional aqueous adhesive is used, then environmental protection is improved, but properties such as bending strength, water-absorption thickness expansion coefficient, and peeling strength become unsatisfactory

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformaldehyde diffusion and organic solvent contentVSAvoidbending strength, peeling strength, and water resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite adhesive system combining starch (providing base adhesive properties), saccharide (enhancing bonding strength and water resistance), and ammonium salt (catalyzing the reaction). This composite composition achieves satisfactory mechanical properties including bending strength, peeling strength, and reduced water-absorption thickness expansion coefficient while maintaining environmental benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The proposed composition effectively enhances the balance of properties in wood-based materials, enabling them to be produced at lower temperatures with improved mechanical strength and reduced environmental impact, while avoiding the use of hazardous materials.

Implementation Method 1

an ammonium salt of an inorganic acid... capable of converting them

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Implementation Method 2

a metal salt... wherein the metal salt comprises at least one selected from potassium salts, calcium salts, sodium salts, and magnesium salts

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolvation: Solvation

Implementation Method 3

a mixture of a wood-based element with an adhesive is generally heated to a temperature in a range of about 130 to 170° C. and then molded

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentUS10947426B2Aqueous bonding composition
Publication Date: 2021.03.16 HENKEL KGAA

AI summary

Disclosed is an aqueous bonding composition comprises: (A) a saccharide; (B) an inorganic acid ammonium salt; and (C) a metal salt, wherein the metal salt (C) comprises at least one selected from potassium salts, calcium salts, sodium salts, and magnesium salts. The aqueous bonding composition is excellent in balance among bending strength, bending strength under wet condition, water-absorption thickness expansion coefficient, and peeling strength. The aqueous bonding composition can be usefully used to produce a wood-based material. Further, a wood-based material obtainable by using the aqueous bonding composition is provided.