Utilization of Suberinic Acids Containing Residue as an Adhesive for Particle Boards

Incorporation of Nano-Zinc Oxide as a Strategy to Improve the Barrier Properties of Biopolymer-Suberinic Acid Residues Films: A Preliminary Study

Finishing coatings in the wood-based composites industry not only influence the final appearance of the product but also serve to protect against fungi and molds and reduce the release of harmful substances, particularly formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carbon-rich materials, such as those derived from birch bark extraction, specifically suberin acids, can fulfill this role. Previous research has demonstrated that adding suberin acid residues (SAR) at 20% and 50% by weight significantly enhances the gas barrier properties of surface-finishing materials based on poly(lactide) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), particularly in terms of total VOC (TVOC) and formaldehyde emissions. This study aims to explore whether these properties can be further improved through the incorporation of nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO). Previous research has shown that these nanoparticles possess strong resistance to biological factors and can positively affect the characteristics of nanofilms applied as surface protection. The study employed PLA and PCL finishing layers blended with SAR powder at 10% w/w and included 2% and 4% nano-zinc oxide nanoparticles. The resulting blends were milled to create a powder, which was subsequently pressed into 1 mm-thick films. These films were then applied to raw particleboard surfaces. TVOC and formaldehyde emission tests were conducted. Additionally, the fungal resistance of the coated surfaces was assessed. The results showed that PLA/SAR and PCL/SAR composites with the addition of nano-zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved barrier properties, offering a promising avenue for developing biodegradable, formaldehyde-free coatings with enhanced features in the furniture industry. Furthermore, by utilizing SAR as a post-extraction residue, this project aligns perfectly with the concept of upcycling.

Perspectives on Using Alder, Larch, and Birch Wood Species to Maintain the Increasing Particleboard Production Flow

Particleboard, engineered wood products as part of a large family of wood composite materials, developed in use mainly in the 1950s and 1960s to utilize inferior wood and wood waste when good-quality wood was in short supply; the annual production capacity worldwide is over 100 million m3. It is also necessary to have a lot of wood raw material for its production, although raw material resources are limited on our planet. In addition to the main wood species, it is therefore possible to think about the wider use of alternative, lesser-known European species of alder, larch, and birch in particleboard production. These three wood species represent an eco-friendly and sustainable wood alternative to the conventional wood raw materials used. This review confirms the diversity of the use of these three species in different fields and proves their suitability in relation to particleboard production. Fundamental research is ongoing in certain universities to determine the proportional shares of use of these tree species in particleboard (in a certain weight proportion in their core layers) for the purpose of formulating the correct technology shares and rules for their application in the wood-based panel industry.

Rigid Polyurethane Foams as Thermal Insulation Material from Novel Suberinic Acid-Based Polyols

Developing polyols from biomass sources contributes to a more circular economy by replacing petroleum-based polyols in the vast production of polyurethanes (PUR). One such potential biomass source could be leftover birch bark from which suberinic acids (SA) can be obtained. The purpose of this study was to identify the best synthesis routes for novel SA-based polyols, obtain rigid PUR foams, and evaluate their competitiveness and potential suitability as thermal insulation material. Novel polyols were synthesized from depolymerized SA by esterification with various functionality and molecular weight alcohols in several molar ratios. The moisture content, hydroxyl and acid values, and apparent viscosity were tested. Free-rise rigid PUR foams from the most suitable SA-based polyol and tall oil-based polyol were successfully prepared, reaching ~20 wt.% total renewable material content in the foam. The obtained rigid PUR foams' morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties were investigated and compared to present foam materials, including commercial foams. The apparent density (~33 kg/m³), as well as the closed cell content (~94%), compression strength (0.25 MPa, parallel to the foaming direction), and thermal conductivity (~0.019 W/(m·K)), approved the competitiveness and potential ability of SA-based rigid PUR foam production as thermal insulation material.

Eco-Friendly Wood Composites: Design, Characterization and Applications

The ongoing transition from a linear to a circular, low-carbon bioeconomy is crucial for reducing the consumption of global natural resources, minimizing waste generation, reducing carbon emissions, and creating more sustainable growth and jobs, the prerequisites necessary to achieve climate neutrality targets and stop biodiversity loss [...].

Qualitative Differences and Emission Persistence of Volatile Organic Compounds from Bio-Based Particleboards

An attempt to reduce, replace, or even eliminate the synthetic resins from wood-based panels alongside broadening the array of raw lignocellulosics is still essential and attractive. Many pretreatments of lignocellulosics have been studied, among which steam explosion (SE) resulted in superior physical-mechanical properties of the obtained binder-less boards. However, the SE pretreatment leads to a relatively strong odor, which is even emitted from the obtained binder-less boards independent of the raw lignocellulosic, raising concern about the use of the boards. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated in the framework of the study from binder-less boards obtained from different SE raw lignocellulosics and SE-untreated suberinic acids-bonded particleboard. VOCs were collected by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for 28 days with an interval of 2 weeks. The results showed that the number of detected VOCs and their chromatographic peak area varied significantly depending on the raw lignocellulosic, board density, and post-treatment (overlayering), decreasing over time. The lowest area of detected VOCs was demonstrated by the suberinic acids-bonded particleboard, while the highest area was detected from the high-density binder-less board obtained from SE hemp shives with the main compound of furfural (up to 70%) in all board types.