A soy-based adhesive from basic modification

Purpose - To investigate a new approach for making soy-based adhesive having appropriate properties for potential application in wood industry. Design/methodology/approach - Three chemicals were used for modifying protein contained in soy flour. According to orthogonal experiment design, nine soy-based adhesives were prepared. Shearing strength of plywood bonded with these adhesives was measured to evaluate the bonding strength of nine formulas. Based on statistic analysis, the main effect factor and an optimised formula were determined. Further investigation on the modification effect to protein molecule was conducted by Fourier Transform infrared Spectroscopy. In order to facilitate practical application, the viscosity of optimum formula adhesive was measured to determine possible working life. Three additives were added to optimise formula for reducing mould growth. Findings - Based on soy-flour mass, the best combination of lime milk, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate was 10, 2, and 20 per cent, respectively. NaOH was considered the main effect factor on bonding strength, and sodium silicate was of the second importance. The viscosity of the optimised adhesive changed lightly in 2 h, and significantly increased from 2 to 4 h. However, it still could spread on veneer, which indicated a reasonable working life for practical application. Based on soy flour mass, when 0.5 per cent sodium benzoate or 25 per cent phenol formaldehyde was added, mould growth could be restrained after early stage. Research limitations/implications - Though the studied soy-based adhesive had a good bonding strength and comparative water resistance, its pH was a little too high, which may cause risks of discolour of light coloured wood. Further study is needed to solve this problem. Practical implications - The approach provided a bio-adhesive with good bonding strength, comparative water resistance, reasonable working life, and without formaldehyde emission. Soy-based adhesive is considered a promising alternate adhesive in wood industry and other applications because of the above mentioned advantages. Originality/value - It provided a potential way to utilise by-product of agriculture, soy-flour, as industrial raw material. This will benefit farmers significantly. Meanwhile, the modified soy-based adhesive is promising to partly or completely replace urea formaldehyde resin that are mainly used in wood industry, avoiding formaldehyde emission and reducing the dependence on petroleum products.