FAST VS SLOW-REACTING NON-MODIFIED TANNIN EXTRACTS FOR EXTERIOR PARTICLEBOARD ADHESIVES

Non-fortified, non-modified tannin extracts, rather than chemically-modified tannin adhesives intermediates, can be used as effectively to produce excellent exterior grade particleboard at fast pressing times of industrial significance, with considerable advantages in both handling and cost. This can be achieved by simple pH-controlled reactivity adjustments of the tannin extract in the glue mix. This new concept is shown to be applicable to all types of polyflavanoid tannin extracts: Pine, mimosa, pecan, quebracho, and gambier tannin extracts are compared as regards their performance and capabilities. The new concept applied to the faster-reacting tannins, such as pine tannin and pecan tannin extracts, is shown to produce fast hot-pressing rates and excellent high moisture content tolerances which are undreamed of for the slower-reacting tannins, modified or non-modified, which are traditionally associated with thermosetting wood adhesives. Industrially used techniques to control well viscosity and pot-life of the glue-mixes of accelerated tannin adhesives are also presented.