Green construction and furniture – Luke's scientists are preparing to introduce an innovative biobased adhesive to reduce the carbon footprint of wooden construction
One obstacle to environmentally friendly wooden construction and safe furniture manufacturing is chemical adhesives that release harmful chemicals into the environment. Luke's scientists have developed a completely biobased adhesive, Nature2Bond, which removes the harmful effects of adhesives on health and promotes climate-friendly wood construction.
Wood as a building material is becoming increasingly popular. Wooden buildings are rising into the sky, and wooden furniture is being purchased in growing quantities. Wood is seen as an environmentally friendly building material and a long-term carbon sequestration opportunity.
Although wood is a low-emission building material, wood products use formaldehyde-based adhesives produced from fossil raw materials. Some of these fossil-produced adhesives are also toxic and can be a threat to both human health and the environment.
In the Nature2Bond project, co-funded by Business Finland and Luke, Luke's scientists are preparing the commercialization of a new completely bio-based adhesive system that further reduces the carbon footprint of the construction and wood industries. The new biobased adhesive is produced from byproducts of the forest industry. The innovation meets the strictest plywood and LVL performance standards: the biobased adhesive withstands demanding conditions such as temperature fluctuations, moisture, and chemicals.
"Nature2Bond is a unique innovation. It opens new doors for the construction industry as we move away from fossil sources. Our biobased adhesive can achieve the same results as traditional chemical adhesives but without their harmful environmental and health effects", emphasizes Anuj Kumar, the lead scientist of the project.
Innovative technology turns biomass into adhesive
In the construction and wood industries, there is a constant search for more sustainable alternatives to the current chemical-based adhesives. Nature2Bond is not the only bio-adhesive developed, but according to Kumar, it stands out distinctly from others. It not only meets the industry's most demanding criteria but is also scalable and cost-effective to produce, making Luke's bio-adhesive an appealing choice for industrial applications.
In engineered wood, more specifically in plywood, LVL, and wood-based panels, traditional chemical adhesives based on phenolic and amino resins are produced from fossil sources and diminish the environmental benefits of wooden construction. They can release harmful compounds both outdoors and indoors, posing health risks. For example, formaldehyde can cause cancer when exposed to it for a long time.
Nature2Bond literally harnesses nature to bond wood in contruction and furniture. With Luke’s innovative technology, biomass from industrial byproducts is harnessed to lead the way in the construction industry. In the adhesive manufacturing process, industrial byproduct biomass is further processed using green chemistry principles, such as pressurized hot water extraction, steam explosion, and liquefaction techniques. The end result is a completely non-toxic bio-adhesive.
"No harmful chemicals are used at any stage of production. To keep wooden construction green, the adhesive must also be fossil-free", Kumar emphasizes.
Bioadhesive revitalizes the construction industry
Luke has submitted a patent application to protect the production process, the product, and its usage of the bio adhesive. Currently, preparations are underway to test the bio adhesive production on a larger scale, and Luke is planning to transition to factory-scale production experiments in collaboration with plywood manufacturers.
Despite a predicted downturn in the construction industry, Luke believes that bio-based innovations have the potential to revitalize the sector.
"The demand for such a product is global. Whatever chemical adhesives are used for currently, our biobased adhesive can do the same. Luke's biobased adhesive has a lot of scalable potential and it opens green doors for the construction industry", Kumar summarizes.
Nature2Bond is a Research to Business project funded by Business Finland.
