Binder
Suberinic acids binder is a natural and harmless material for human health. The resulting products are moisture resistant and have high bending strength, internal bond strength and dimensional stability. Thus, suberinic acids binder is an excellent solution for building materials and furniture.
Suberinic acids belong to the carboxylic acids, which are predominantly long (C18) α and ω-bifunctional saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, which after heat treatment have a high adhesion to wood. Depending on the obtaining process conditions, the chemical structure and the proportions of the individual suberinic acids may change. The industrial mixture of suberinic acids, obtained from extracted birch outer bark, can be successfully used in industry.
Processing birch bark into high value-added products will contribute to the circular economy by providing waste-free production in birch wood processing plants, making complete usage of birch bark, at the same time providing a binder that prevents indoor emissions of formaldehyde vapors.
Plywood
Currently, urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde resins are widely used to glue together a set of veneer sheets. Substituting the resins with suberinic acids binder can result in a much better end product that is moisture resistant and harmless for human health. Thus, such plywood will also be suitable for furniture production, exterior decoration, garden furniture etc.
PARTICLE BOARDS and other wood-based panels
Suberinic acids binder can be used in the manufacture of OSB (Oriented Strand Board), PB (Particle boards), MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard) and other wood-based panels. Currently, most of the particle boards are manufactured using urea-formaldehyde or phenol-formaldehyde resin as a binder, which has a negative effect on human health, especially on the respiratory tract. The use of a suberinic acids binder would allow the partial or total elimination of formaldehyde in resins.
| SAMPLE | DENSITY, KG M-3 | THICKNESS SWELLING, % | BENDING STRENGTH, N MM-2 | INTERNAL BONDING, N MM-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Particle boards with suberinic acids binder | 840–850 | 7–15 | 15-19 | 0,95-3,50 |
| EN 312 P3 | ≤850 | ≤17,0 | ≥15 | ≥0,45 |
FURNITURE
Suberinic acids binder has good potential in niche production, which requires high quality, moisture resistant furniture that has no negative impact on the environment and human health. Such furniture will be particularly suitable for sensitive and allergic persons with respiratory problems, as well as in public places such as kindergartens, schools, hospitals, etc. Plywood and particle board furniture is cheaper than solid wood furniture and is simple, functional and lighter.
