• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 1998

This study examined the combined using effects of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin and emulsifiable methylene diphyenyl diisocyanate (EMDI) resin to overcome performance limit of three-layer particleboards commonly made by UF resin. Two adhesive adding methods were applied with three types of resin combination system to each layer of particleboards. The one was simultaneously spreading method with emulsified compound resin (UF and EMDI) while the other was separately spreading method with unemulsified EMDI resin after UF resin spreading. The performance of particleboards bonded with 2% EMDI resin to the inner layers(IL) were similar to that of controls bonded with 8% UF resin. In the case of the emulsified compound resin application to the all layers of particleboards, there were marked reinforcing effects of EMDI resin, although a small amount of EMDI resin was mixed with UF resin. Especially bending MOR after 24 hours cold water-immersion and thickness swelling after 2 hours hot water-immersion of compound resin-bonded particleboards were remarkably different from those of pure UF resin-bonded particleboards. It was found that separately spreading method with unemulsified EMDI resin was more effective than simultaneously spreading method with emulsified compound resin to sustain the internal bond strength of particleboards after 24 hours cold water-immersion. In the resin combination systems to outer layers/inner layers of particleboards, water resistance and strength properties were superior in order of UF+EMDI/UF+EMDI > UF/UF+EMDI > UF/UF. And water resistance of particleboards was greatly dependent upon EMDI resin level in any adhesive adding method.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.67-75
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• 2007

As a part of abating the formaldehyde emission of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin adhesive by lowering formaldehyde to urea (F/U) mole ratio, this study was conducted to investigate properties of UF resin adhesive with different F/U mole ratios. UF resin adhesives were synthesized at different F/U mole ratios of 1.6, 1.4, 1.2, and 1.0. Properties of UF resin adhesives measured were non-volatile solids content, pH level, viscosity, water tolerance, specific gravity, gel time and free formaldehyde content. In addition, a linear relationship between non-volatile solids content and sucrose concentration measured by a refractometer was established for a faster determination of the non-volatile solids content of UF resin. As F/U mole ratio was lowered, non-volatile solids content, pH, specific gravity, water tolerance, and gel time increased while free formaldehyde content and viscosity were decreased. These results suggested that the amount of free formaldehyde strongly affected the reactivity of UF resin. Lowering F/U mole ratio of UF resin as a way of abating formaldehyde emission consequently requires improving its reactivity.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.605-614
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• 2014

This study investigated microstructural changes of cured urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins mixed with aqueous rubber latex emulsion after intentional acid etching. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used in order to better understand a hydrolytic degradation process of cured UF resins responsible for the formaldehyde emission from wood-based composite panels. A liquid UF resin with a formaldehyde to urea (F/U) molar ratio 1.0 was mixed with a rubber latex emulsion at three different mixing mass ratios (UF resin to latex = 30:70, 50:50, and 70:30). The rate of curing of the liquid modified UF resins decreased with an increase of the rubber latex proportion as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement. Ultrathin sections of modified and cured UF resin films were exposed to hydrochloric acid etching in order to mimic a certain hydrolytic degradation. TEM observation showed spherical particles and various cavities in the cured UF resins after the acid etching, indicating that the acid etching had hydrolytically degraded some part of the cured UF resin by acid hydrolysis, also showing spherical particles of cured UF resin dispersed in the latex matrix. These results suggested that spherical structures of cured UF resin might play an important role in hindering the hydrolysis degradation of cured UF resin.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.92-97
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• 1998

Four urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins were synthesized as a particleboard (PB) binder with the four different initial formaldehyde/urea mole ratio and the final mole ratio of 1.15. The UF resins were characterized according to the standard method of resin adhesive analysis. PBs were manufactured using liquid UF resins at 5 minutes press time and 6% resin solids levels on an ovendry particle weight basis. A total of 20 PBs was fabricated for 5 panel replication per UF resin types. The panels were tested for physical strength properties per the procedure ASTM D 1037. The formaldehyde emission levels from the PBs bonded with the UF resins were tested according to 2-hour desiccator test method ASTM D 5582. There were no significant differences among UF resin types for internal bond strength of PBs. But there were significant differences among UF resin types for formaldehyde emission level of PBs. The results showed that the formaldehyde emission level was influenced by the UF resin types without reducing the adhesive performance.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.76-86
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of formaldehyde to urea (F/U) mole ratio on thermomechanical curing of UF resin adhesives with different F/U mole ratios. Thermomechanical curing of these UF resin adhesives was characterized using parameters of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) such as the gel temperature, maximum storage modulus, and peak temperatures of storage and loss modulus. As the F/U mole ratio decreased, the gel temperature of UF resin adhesives increased. The maximum storage modulus as an indicator of the rigidity of UF resin adhesives decreased with decreasing F/U mole ratio. The peak temperature of tan $\delta$ increased with decreasing F/U mole ratio, indicating that the vitrification occurred faster for high F/U mole ratio of UF resin adhesives than for the one of lower F/U mole ratio. These results partially explained the reason why UF resin adhesives with lower F/U mole ratio resulted in relatively poor adhesion performance when they were applied.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.58-66
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• 2007

The objective of this research was to develop environment-friendly adhesives for face fancy veneer bonding of engineered flooring. Urea-formaldehyde (UF)-tannin and melamine-formaldehyde (MF)/PVAc hybrid resin were used to replace UF resin in the formaldehyde-based resin system in order to reduce formaldehyde and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the adhesives used between plywoods and fancy veneers. Wattle tannin powder (5 wt%) was added to UF resin and PVAc (30 wt%) to MF resin. These adhesive systems showed better bonding than commercial UF resin with a similar level of wood penetration. The initial adhesion strength was sufficient to be maintained within the optimum initial tack range. The standard formaldehyde emission test (desiccator method) and VOC analyzer were used to determine the formaldehyde and VOC emissions from engineered flooring bonded with commercial UF resin, UF-tannin and MF/PVAc hybrid resin. By desiccator method, the formaldehyde emission level of UF resin showed the highest but was reduced by replacing with UF-tannin and MF/PVAc hybrid resin. MF/PVAc hybrid satisfied the $E_1$ grade (below $1.5mg/{\ell}$). VOC emission results by VOC analyzer were similar with the formaldehyde emission results. TVOC emission was in the following order: UF > UF-tannin > MF/PVAc hybrid resin.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.63-72
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• 2008

As a part of abating formaldehyde emission of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin adhesive, this study was conducted to investigate chemical structures of UF resin adhesives with different formaldehyde/urea (F/U) mole ratios, using carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance ($^{13}C$-NMR) spectroscopy. UF resin adhesives were synthesized at four different F/U mole ratios such as 1.6, 1.4, 1.2, and 1.0 for the analysis. The analysis $^{13}C$-NMR spectroscopy showed that UF resin adhesives with higher F/U mole ratios (i.e., 1.6 and 1.4) had two distinctive peaks, indicating the presence of dimethylene ether linkages and methylene glycols, a dissolved form of free formaldehyde. But, these peaks were not detected at the UF resins with lower F/U mole ratios (i.e., 1.2 and 1.0). These chemical structures present at the UF resins with higher F/U mole ratios indicated that UF resin adhesive with higher F/U mole ratio had a greater contribution to the formaldehyde emission than that of lower F/U mole ratio. Uronic species were detected for all UF resins regardless of F/U mole ratios.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 1984

Taro-UF mixed type resin system was developed for gluing plywoods. The taro adhesive that was activated with sodium hydroxide was mixed with the definite ratios of UF resin adhesive. At the sametime, wheat-UF mixed type resin was also applied with the same method as taro-UF mixed type resin The mixing ratios of taro or wheat adhesive: UF resin were 0:100, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 80:20, and 100:0 by weight. In addition, the UF resins extended with wheat powder at the extending ratios of wheat powder UF resin, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, and 50:50 by weight, were also used. The dry and wet shear strengths of the plywoods of 30:70 (taro adhesive : UF resin) mixing ratio were highest. The dry shear strengths of the plywoods manufactured with the UF resin-mixing taro adhesive were higher than those of the plywoods with the UF resin-mixing wheat adhesive at 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40 (taro or wheat adhesive: UF resin) mixing ratios. At all mixing ratios, the wet shear strengths of the plywoods manufactured with the UF resin-mixing taro adhesive were higher than those of the plywoods with the UF resin-mixing wheat adhesive. The dry and wet shear strengths of the plywoods manufactured with the UF resin-mixing wheat adhesive were higher than those of the plywoods with the wheat powder-extending UF resin at the mixmg ratios, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, and 40:60 (wheat adhesive or wheat powder: UF resin). So, it was found that the plywoods manufactured with the UF resin-mixing taro adhesive and the UF resin mixing wheat adhesive had better shear strength than the plywoods with the wheat powder-extending UF resin. It was because the taro adhesive and wheat adhesive themselves took the bonding properties after being activated with alkali.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.223-231
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• 2017

This work was conducted to investigate on the effect of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin viscosity on plywood adhesion. The viscosity of UF resin was controlled either by adjusting the condensation reaction during its synthesis to obtain different target viscosities (100, 200 and 300 mPa.s) at two levels of formaldehyde/urea (F/U) mole ratios (1.0 and 1.2) or by adding different amounts (10, 20 and 30%) of wheat flour into the resins for the manufacture of plywood. When the viscosity of UF resin increased by the condensation reaction, the adhesion strength of plywood bonded with UF resin of 1.2 F/U mole ratio consistently increased, while those bonded with the 1.0 F/U mole ratio resin slightly decreased, suggesting a difference in the adhesion in plywood. However, the adhesion strength of plywood decreased as the viscosity increased by adding wheat flour, regardless of F/U mole ratio. The manipulation of UF resin viscosity by adjusting the condensation reaction was much more efficient than by adding wheat flour in improving the adhesion performance of plywood. These results indicated that a way of controlling the viscosity of UF resin adhesives has a great influence to their adhesion in plywood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of reaction pH conditions and hardener types on the reactivity, chemical structure and adhesion performance of UF resins. Three different reaction pH conditions, such as traditional alkaline-acid (7.5 → 4.5), weak acid (4.5), and strong acid (1.0), were used to synthesize UF resins which were cured by adding three different hardeners (ammonium chloride, ammonium citrate, and zinc nitrate) to measure adhesion strength. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C-NMR) spectroscopies were employed to study chemical structure of the resin prepared under three different reaction pH conditions. Adhesion strength of the resins cured with three different hardeners was determined with lap shear specimens in tension. The gel time of UF resins decreased with an increasing in the amount of both ammonium chloride and ammonium citrate added in the resins. However, the gel time increased for zinc nitrate. Both FT-IR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopies showed that the strong reaction pH condition produce uronic structures in UF resin, while both alkaline-acid and weak acid conditions produce quite similar chemical species in the resins. The maximum adhesion strength was occurred with the resin prepared under strong acid pH condition. However, this study indicated that the weak acid reaction condition provide a balance between increasing resin reactivity and improving adhesion strength of UF resin. The measurement of formaldehyde emission from the panels bonded with the UF resins prepared is planned for future work.