Two-Part Adhesive for Lignocellulosic Boards

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing processes for manufacturing multi-layer lignocellulosic articles, such as wood-based composite materials, face challenges with strong odor and eye irritation due to urea in soy flour-based adhesives, which can lead to lower strength in final products and technical constraints in mixing wood chips/particles with fibers, and issues with recycling MDF for OSB and particleboard production.

Innovation Solution

A two-part adhesive composition using ground sunflower or rapeseed meal instead of soy flour, with a solid part and a liquid part containing an amine-based azetidinium-functional cross-linker, reducing water addition and viscosity, and optimizing the use of amine- or amide-based compounds like urea to enhance internal bonding and water resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If soy flour-based adhesive with urea is used, then bonding strength is improved, but strong odor and eye irritation occur due to urease activity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidodor and eye irritation
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the protein source from soy flour to sunflower or rapeseed meal, which have different urease activity characteristics. This parameter change in the adhesive composition eliminates the harmful urease activity while maintaining bonding strength through the same urea-formaldehyde crosslinking mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses ground sunflower or rapeseed meal as a cost-effective alternative to soy flour. These meal by-products are inexpensive and when used as adhesive base, they provide the necessary protein content without the problematic urease activity, resolving both cost and harmful effects issues.

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

2Object-affected harmful factors

If soy flour is heat-treated to denature urease, then harmful effects are reduced, but manufacturing complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveurease activityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the problematic urease activity by completely replacing soy flour with sunflower or rapeseed meal that naturally lacks this activity. This eliminates the need for the additional heat-treatment step to denature urease, simplifying the manufacturing process while achieving the same harmful effect reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent selects protein sources (sunflower or rapeseed meal) that have already been processed to remove or minimize urease activity before use. This preliminary selection avoids the need for subsequent heat-treatment steps during adhesive preparation, reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If two-part adhesive composition is used, then water usage is reduced and viscosity is optimized, but adhesive composition complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater usageVSAvoidadhesive composition complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the adhesive composition into two separate parts: a solid protein-based part (sunflower or rapeseed meal) and a liquid crosslinker part (containing urea and formaldehyde). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's properties, enabling reduced water usage and optimized viscosity while maintaining effective bonding through controlled mixing before application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 process eliminates urease activity, reduces water usage, maintains strength and flexibility of the lignocellulosic boards, and allows for the production of multi-layer wood particleboards with improved internal bonding and water resistance without compromising the manufacturing process.

Implementation Method 1

a liquid part comprising an amine-based azetidinium-functional cross-linker

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCross-linking: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

curing the adhesive compositions impregnating the lignocellulosic material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCuring: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP4467303A1Process to prepare a multi-layer lignocellulosic-based article using different two-part adhesive compositions
Publication Date: 2024.11.27 EVERTREE
  • EP4467303A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4467303A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4467303A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a multi-layer lignocellulosic article comprising a core and two surface layers, wherein this process comprises the use of a two-part adhesive compositions comprising a solid part comprising a ground sunflower or rapeseed meal and a liquid part comprising a cross-linker and wherein an amine- or amide-based compound is added and mixed to the lignocellulosic material forming the core layer.