Alternative castor oil-based polyurethane adhesive used in the production of plywood

Plywood is normally produced with urea-formaldehyde and/or phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. However, the former is considerably toxic and environmentally damaging, while the latter is expensive, thus motivating the search for alternative raw materials in plywood production. The castor oil-based polyurethane adhesive developed at the São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, is an environmentally friendly vegetal oil-based polymer that is harmless to humans. The wood species Eucalyptus grandis offers favorable properties for plywood the manufacture. The study reported on here ...