Qianyu Zhang^1,2,#, Shi Chen^1,2,#, Long Cao^1,2, Hong Lei³, Antonio Pizzi⁴, Xuedong Xi^1,2,*, Guanben Du^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 235-244, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.029537

Abstract Using non-toxic, low-volatile glyoxal to completely replace formaldehyde for preparing urea-glyoxal (UG) resin adhesive is a hot research topic that could be of great interest for the wood industry. However, urea-glyoxal (UG) resins prepared by just using glyoxal instead of formaldehyde usually yields a lower degree of polymerization. This results in a poorer bonding performance and water resistance of UG resins. A good solution is to pre-react urea to preform polyurea molecules presenting already a certain degree of polymerization, and then to condense these with glyoxal to obtain a novel UG resin. Therefore, in this present work, the urea was… More > Graphic Abstract

Xingyu Liang¹, Xiaoyu Gu¹, Myint Myint Paing Hsu², Yuhang He¹, Rongzhuo Zhang¹, Conghui Cai³, Zheng Wang^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.5, pp. 2333-2344, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026137

Abstract In order to improve the fire resistance, water resistance and wear resistance of ordinary plywood products in the wood processing industry, three composite structures of plywood products S1, S2 and S3 were designed in this paper, and a reasonable production process was proposed. Through the physical and mechanical properties and fire resistance testing and technical and economic analysis, the applicability of composite plywood was evaluated. The results of the study showed that the physical mechanics of the three kinds of composite structure plywood met the standard requirements, and their fire resistance was far better than that of ordinary plywood. Among… More >

Henghui Deng^1,2, Jingyi Lu^1,2, Dunsheng Liang^1,2, Xiaomin Wang^1,2, Tongyao Wang^1,2, Weihao Zhang^1,2, Jing Wang^3,*, Chaoqun Zhang^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1209-1222, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023371

Abstract In this study, acrylic acid was used as a neutralizer to prepare bio-based WPU with an interpenetrating polymer network structure by thermally induced free radical emulsion polymerization. The effects of the content of acrylic acid on the properties of the resulting waterborne polyurethane-poly (acrylic acid) (WPU-PAA) dispersion and the films were systematically investigated. The results showed that the cross-linking density of the interpenetrating network polymers was increased and the interlocking structure of the soft and hard phase dislocations in the molecular segments of the double networks was tailored with increasing the content of acrylic acid, leading to enhancement of the… More > Graphic Abstract

T. Ganier, J. Hu, A. Pizzi^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 79-82, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2012.634101

Abstract Linear vibration welding of extractive rich Paduk wood from central Africa containing a high proportion of a native mixture of water-insoluble extractives, or of low water solubility, has been shown to yield joints of much upgraded water resistance. This has been shown to be due to the protecting infl uence the extractives from the wood itself has on the welded interphase, due to their inherent water repellence. Joints of unusually high percentage wood failure but modest strength were obtained; Paduk wood brittleness apparently yielding weld line strengths always higher than that of the surrounding wood itself. This indicated that Paduk… More >

Yantao Xu¹, Yufei Han¹, Jianzhang Li¹, Jing Luo², Sheldon Q. Shi³, Jingchao Li¹, Qiang Gao^1,*, An Mao^4,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.10, pp. 2519-2541, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.020750

Abstract Traditional formaldehyde-based adhesives rely excessively on petrochemical resources, release toxic gases, and pollute the environment. Plant-derived soybean protein adhesives are eco-friendly materials that have the potential to replace the formaldehyde-based adhesives used to fabricate wood-based panels. However, the poor water resistance, high brittleness, and poor mildew resistance of soybean protein adhesives limit their industrial applications. This article reviews recent research progress in the modification of soybean protein adhesives for improving the bonding performance of adhesives used for wood-based panel fabrication. Modification methods were summarized in terms of water resistance, solid content, and mildew resistance. The modification mechanisms and remaining problems… More >

Lifeng Ji, Qiuxia Zhang, Fei Rao^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.9, pp. 2477-2487, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.021761

Abstract Landscape designers increasingly prefer to use wood/bamboo-based composites for outdoor hydrophilic platforms owing to their natural surface texture, high performance, and sustainability to facilitate extensive interaction between people and water and enable the full range of ecological functions of water resources. In this study, four laminated composite (LC) structures were designed and manufactured using fluffed bamboo and wood veneers. Their surface textures, profile densities, water resistances, and mechanical properties were then evaluated. The type of fluffed veneer of the surface layer determined the texture of the LC surface. The specific structures of fluffed bamboo and wood veneer laminations were found… More >

Zhipeng He^1,2, Junqi Xue^1,2, Yanzi Ke^1,2, Ying Luo^1,2,*, Qiming Lu^1,2, Yuehua Xu^1,2, Chaoqun Zhang^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.3, pp. 591-604, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017790

Abstract Nowadays, waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) prepared from renewable resources has attracted more and more attention. However, due to its structure, the prepared films easily swells in water and greatly affects the application range of WPUs. Therefore, solving the problem of water resistance is a way to improve the application range of WPUs. In this study, a series of WPU dispersions were prepared using castor oil as the bio-based polyol. Besides, the thiol-ene photo click reaction was carried out on the WPU films for silane modification. The effect of the silane modification on the chemical structures of the WPU dispersions and the… More > Graphic Abstract

Long Zheng, Yiqiang Wu, Shu Wang, Guoan Sheng, Baorong Sun, Yingfeng Zuo^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.10, pp. 1729-1739, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.015143

Abstract This study was designed to solve the problem of large waste volume from bamboo processing residues in recent years. Using magnesium oxychloride (MO) cementitious material as the main material and bamboo residue (BR) as the reinforcing material, a BR/MO composite material was prepared. The effects of BR amount on the molding properties, mechanical strength, and water resistance of BR/MO composites were examined and discussed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize composite microscopic morphology, crystalline structure, and heat resistance. The results showed that, when the BR content was 1.00% (by wt), the flowability… More >

Heather L. Buckley^1*, Caitlin H. Touchberry², Jonathan P. McKinley², Zachary S. Mathe¹, Hurik Muradyan¹, Hannah Ling², Raj P. Fadadu¹, Martin J. Mulvihill¹, Susan E. Amrose²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.1, pp. 1-13, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634109

Abstract Waste cardboard is an underutilized resource that can be redirected for the creation of safer and higher quality building materials for low-income housing in the developing world, as well as to produce better materials for indoor environments in developed-world contexts. Using a renewable biobased binder and benign additives, we have improved the water resistance of a cardboard-based composite material, overcoming one of the major barriers to scaling and adoption of this class of materials. Resistance to water uptake was significantly increased with several additives and was increased over 900-fold in the best case. Strength and water uptake over time are… More >