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Bonding wood with uncondensed lignins as adhesives

Author

Listed:
  • Guangxu Yang

    (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University)

  • Zhenggang Gong

    (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University)

  • Xiaolin Luo

    (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University)

  • Lihui Chen

    (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University)

  • Li Shuai

    (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University)

Abstract

Plywood is widely used in construction, such as for flooring and interior walls, as well as in the manufacture of household items such as furniture and cabinets. Such items are made of wood veneers that are bonded together with adhesives such as urea–formaldehyde and phenol–formaldehyde resins1,2. Researchers in academia and industry have long aimed to synthesize lignin–phenol–formaldehyde resin adhesives using biomass-derived lignin, a phenolic polymer that can be used to substitute the petroleum-derived phenol3–6. However, lignin–phenol–formaldehyde resin adhesives are less attractive to plywood manufacturers than urea–formaldehyde and phenol–formaldehyde resins owing to their appearance and cost. Here we report a simple and practical strategy for preparing lignin-based wood adhesives from lignocellulosic biomass. Our strategy involves separation of uncondensed or slightly condensed lignins from biomass followed by direct application of a suspension of the lignin and water as an adhesive on wood veneers. Plywood products with superior performances could be prepared with such lignin adhesives at a wide range of hot-pressing temperatures, enabling the use of these adhesives as promising alternatives to traditional wood adhesives in different market segments. Mechanistic studies indicate that the adhesion mechanism of such lignin adhesives may involve softening of lignin by water, filling of vessels with softened lignin and crosslinking of lignins in adhesives with those in the cell wall.

Suggested Citation

  • Guangxu Yang & Zhenggang Gong & Xiaolin Luo & Lihui Chen & Li Shuai, 2023. "Bonding wood with uncondensed lignins as adhesives," Nature, Nature, vol. 621(7979), pages 511-515, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:621:y:2023:i:7979:d:10.1038_s41586-023-06507-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06507-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoming Xie & Yulian Jiang & Xiaoman Yao & Jiaqi Zhang & Zilin Zhang & Taoping Huang & Runhan Li & Yifa Chen & Shun-Li Li & Ya-Qian Lan, 2024. "A solvent-free processed low-temperature tolerant adhesive," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Gonzalo Rodríguez-Grau & Pierre-Louis Cordonnier & Benjamín Navarrete & Claudio Montero & Claudia Alvarado & Régis Pommier & Víctor Rosales & Carlos Galarce, 2024. "The Adhesion Performance in Green-Glued Finger Joints Using Different Wood Ring Orientations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Quanqian Lyu & Miaomiao Li & Lianbin Zhang & Jintao Zhu, 2024. "Structurally-colored adhesives for sensitive, high-resolution, and non-invasive adhesion self-monitoring," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

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