Curing process of phenol-urea-formaldehyde-tannin (PUFT) adhesives -: Kinetic studies by DSC and DMA

Phenol-urea-formaldehyde-tannin (PUFT) adhesives have been prepared by copolymerization at room temperature of pine bark tannins with phenol-urea-formaldehyde (PUF) prepolymers prepared under varying operating conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) have been used to analyse the curing of prepolymers and adhesives. DSC curves were obtained at three different heating rates and, by means of the Model Free Kinetics isoconversional method, chemical conversion vs. time at a given temperature was obtained. Mechanical conversion was calculated from DMA storage modulus data for those adhesives which gave the best results for plywood and MDF boards.