Recent Developments in Eco-Friendly Wood-Based Composites

Dear Colleagues, 

Traditional wood-based composites are bonded with synthetic formaldehyde-based adhesives. These adhesives bring certain environmental problems because they release formaldehyde emissions, which is a human carcinogen and toxic for the environment. It is hardly possible to find new uses or new fields for wood-based products because of the lack of proper adhesives to meet wood industry requirements of being eco-friendly, low-cost and easy-to-use. That is why the growing ecological and environmental consciousness drives efforts for the development of new eco-friendly wood-based composites for various end-use applications. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to reduce formaldehyde emissions from wood-based composites via the reduction of formaldehyde content in resin formulation; the use of scavengers, such as tannins, lignin, starch, wheat flour, and rice husk flour or other compounds (starch derivatives, charcoal, pozzolan, zeolites, and urea) that scavenge formaldehyde; and post-treatment or surface treatment of the wood-based products and use of natural resins, including soy protein, tannin, lignin, and starch adhesives. One of the possible directions is the creation of wood composites based on environmentally-friendly products, where thermoplastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride) and their copolymers are used as adhesives. Another alternative to the use of synthetic formaldehyde-based adhesives is to manufacture binderless wood composites since wood is a natural polymer material which is rich in lignocellulosic compounds such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect of original research and reviews focused on laboratory- and industrial-scale solutions to the sustainable development of novel and eco-friendly wood-based composites.

Prof. Ing. Pavlo Bekhta, DrSc.
Guest Editor

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