Investigation of a Formaldehyde-free Cottonseed Flour-based Adhesive for Interior Plywood

A new formaldehyde-free wood adhesive, primarily composed of defatted cottonseed flour (CF) and polyamine-epichlorohydrin (K736) resin, was investigated for the preparation of interior plywood. Sodium hydroxide was an essential component of the adhesive. The effects of pH values of the CF-K736 adhesive, the CF/K736 weight ratio on the pot life of the adhesive, and the water resistance of the resulting plywood panels were investigated in detail. The hot-pressing temperature and time were optimized in terms of the water resistance of the resulting plywood panels. The resulting 5-ply plywood panels met the industrial water resistance requirements for interior application under the following conditions: pH 11, CF/K736 weight ratio in the range of 8/1 to 5/1, hot-press temperature >= 120 degrees C, and hot-pressing time > 4 min. The pot life of the adhesive was approximately 3 h when the pH was 12 and the CF/K736 weight ratio was 8/1. The curing mechanism of the adhesive is discussed.