New Zealand-based Scion have developed a new bioadhesive which they are now making commercially available.
After seven years of learning to mix and match assorted ingredients from forestry and agricultural waste to produce a recipe for a healthy ‘green’ bio-based adhesive, the research team is ready to take their technology to the next step, industrial commercialisation.
Commercial trials were held late last year, which involved the manufacture and product testing of the liquid resins at tonne-scale. Following this, commercial-scale trials were run at two industrial plywood mills, each using two different types of adhesive application.
“Adhesives and resins made from natural sources have a lower environmental footprint and are considered more socially acceptable than their traditional formaldehyde-based counterparts. We conducted an analysis of our bioadhesives in 2014, which showed the engineered wood products have a 22% lower environmental impact over their lifecycle than those using adhesives derived from petrochemicals,” said programme leader, Dr Warren Grigsby.
Image Credit: Scion
