Research on Wood-Based Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 5513

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Wood Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-627 Poznan, Poland
Interests: wood sciences and technology; wood-based materials; lignocellulosic composites; adhesives; adhesive modification; bio-based adhesives; formaldehyde emission
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wood-based composite (WBC) is a concept that refers to both conventional wood-based materials and new-generation materials made from wood processed into various forms (lumber, veneers, chips, particles, fibers, flours) in combination with other wood or non-wood materials. Their bonding is carried out with synthetic or natural binding agents, mineral binders and mechanical fasteners. WBCs are currently experiencing dynamic development resulting in a significant increase in their production and range of applications. They are mainly used in the production of interior furnishings, furniture and building structures. In addition, they are also used in the energy sector, electronics and automotive industries, in transportation and in the manufacture of packaging and pallets. The advantage of WBCs is that they can be designed to meet a range of specific requirements, whether in terms of geometry, density, bio- and water resistance, fire proofing, durability, strength or thermal and acoustic insulation. In addition, their manufacture makes it possible to reduce the use of wood or the use of lower-quality and small-sized wood and other types of material, often recycled. For years, WBCs have also attracted increasing attention from various research institutions seeking to develop a new sustainable product. Therefore, the purpose of this special issue is to present the latest research on the manufacturing technology process, its efficiency and cost reduction, and the properties of the conventional as well as a new type of wood-based composite. Particularly, welcome are works on the development of a new type of environmentally friendly binding systems, the use of alternative raw materials, the improvement of hygienic, durability and quality of WBCs (thermal and chemical treatment of raw material and finished product, the use of nanomaterials), the development of new materials with a three-dimensional structure, multilayer composites (sandwich panel), lightweight composites, hybrid composites, their assembly systems and the recycling process of WBCs.

Dr. Dorota Dukarska
Prof. Dr. Pavlo Bekhta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wood composites
  • non-wood composites
  • wood-polymer composites (WPC)
  • binderless wood composites
  • lightweight wood composites
  • hybrid composites
  • sandwich composites
  • honeycomb structures
  • sustainable product
  • new applications
  • assembly systems
  • bond quality
  • recycling
  • performance characteristics
  • strength
  • durability
  • resistance
  • formaldehyde and VOC emissions nanomaterials in wood-based composite production
  • thermal and chemical processing of raw materials and wood-based composites

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2242 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Isocyanate Content in PF/pMDI Adhesive for the Production of High-Performing Particleboards
by Jakub Kawalerczyk, Dorota Dukarska, Mateusz Barczewski, Dorota Dziurka and Radosław Mirski
Polymers 2023, 15(24), 4645; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15244645 - 08 Dec 2023
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Abstract
Due to the fact that impregnation with fire retardant usually reduces the strength of the produced particleboards, this research was carried out to investigate whether it is possible to use phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin modified using various amounts (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) [...] Read more.
Due to the fact that impregnation with fire retardant usually reduces the strength of the produced particleboards, this research was carried out to investigate whether it is possible to use phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin modified using various amounts (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of polymeric 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI) for this purpose. The need to optimize the addition of pMDI is particularly important due to health and environmental aspects and high price. Furthermore, the curing process of hybrid resins is still not fully explained, especially in the case of small loadings. Manufactured particleboards differed in the share of impregnated particles (50% and 100%). The mixture of potassium carbonate and urea was used as the impregnating solution. Based on the outcomes of hybrid resins properties, it was found that the addition of pMDI leads to the increase in solid content, pH, and viscosity of the mixtures, to the improvement in resin reactivity determined using differential scanning calorimetry and to the decrease in thermal stability in the cured state evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, particleboard property results have shown that using impregnated particles (both 50% and 100%) decreased the strength of manufactured boards bonded using neat PF resin. However, the introduction of pMDI allowed us to compensate for the negative impact of fire-retardant-treated wood and it was found that the optimal loading of pMDI for the board containing 50% of impregnated particles is 5% and for board made entirely of treated wood it is 10%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Wood-Based Composites)
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15 pages, 2927 KiB  
Article
Heat Transfer Efficiency and pMDI Curing Behavior during Hot-Pressing Process of Tea Oil Camellia (Camellia Oleifera Abel.) Shell Particleboard
by Kamran Choupani Chaydarreh, Yongtao Li, Xiuyi Lin, Weiwei Zhang and Chuanshuang Hu
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 959; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15040959 - 15 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1499
Abstract
The use of agricultural biomass composites as new construction and building materials has grown rapidly in recent decades. Considering that energy consumption is one of the most important factors in production, the aim of this work is to examine how heat transfer is [...] Read more.
The use of agricultural biomass composites as new construction and building materials has grown rapidly in recent decades. Considering that energy consumption is one of the most important factors in production, the aim of this work is to examine how heat transfer is affected at various ratios and combinations of three-layer tea oil camellia shell (TOCS) based particleboard with the purpose of creating a mat-forming structure, which has the best physical and mechanical properties for furniture and construction use in a dry environment and consumes the least amount of energy. Additionally, it investigated how raw materials type affects the curing process of polymeric methylene diisocyanate (pMDI) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). According to the obtained data, the centerline temperature could reach a maximum of 125 °C after 3 min regardless of the materials or combinations, while the pMDI curing time was 100–110 °C. The results demonstrated that efficient heat transfer could help resin polymerization and improve panel properties. The effect of raw materials on the curing behavior of resin indicated that TOCS particles somehow caused more heat reactions at the curing point. It appeared that particleboard with a ratio of 40% commercial wood particles in the surface layers and 50% TOCS particles (mesh size: −3 + 14) in the core layer with a modulus of rupture (MOR) of 11.29 N/mm2 and internal bonding (IB) of 0.78 N/mm2 has the best properties and met EN 312: 2010 standard requirements for particleboard P2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Wood-Based Composites)
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15 pages, 2608 KiB  
Article
APTES-Modified Nanocellulose as the Formaldehyde Scavenger for UF Adhesive-Bonded Particleboard and Strawboard
by Jakub Kawalerczyk, Joanna Walkiewicz, Dorota Dziurka, Radosław Mirski and Jakub Brózdowski
Polymers 2022, 14(22), 5037; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14225037 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2353
Abstract
This work examines the possibility of applying non-modified nanocellulose and nanocellulose functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as a formaldehyde scavenger for commonly used urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesive. The effect of silanization was determined with the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), flame atomic absorption [...] Read more.
This work examines the possibility of applying non-modified nanocellulose and nanocellulose functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as a formaldehyde scavenger for commonly used urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesive. The effect of silanization was determined with the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and elemental analysis. Moreover, the ability of cellulosic nanoparticles to absorb the formaldehyde from an aqueous solution was investigated. After homogenization, cured UF adhesives were examined with the use of FTIR, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and the perforator method to determine the content of formaldehyde. Manufactured boards made of rape straw particles and wood particles were tested in terms of their physico-mechanical properties and formaldehyde emission. Studies have shown that the applied method of silanization was effective. Furthermore, in the case of non-modified nanocellulose, no sign of formaldehyde scavenging ability was found. However, the functionalization of cellulosic nanoparticles with APTES containing an amino group led to the significant reduction of formaldehyde content in both the aqueous solution and the UF adhesive. The mechanical properties of both strawboards and particleboards were improved due to the nanocellulose reinforcement; however, no effect of silanization was found. Nevertheless, functionalization with APTES contributed to a decrease in formaldehyde emission from boards, which was not found in the case of the introduction of non-modified cellulosic nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Wood-Based Composites)
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