Process for particleboard manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9381677-B2
Application number	US-201514617092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 13, 2011
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

Improved particleboard and methods for fabricating improved particleboard (e.g., natural fiber/material-based particleboard) are disclosed. More particularly, the present disclosure provides systems/methods for fabricating particleboard (e.g., formaldehyde-free particleboard) utilizing natural fibers/materials (e.g., lignocellulosic materials), wherein the particleboard has improved performance characteristics and/or mechanical properties. Methods for fabricating fiber-reinforced biocomposites (e.g., natural fiber-reinforced wheat gluten biocomposites) are disclosed. For example, systems/methods for fabricating particleboard from lignocellulosic materials (e.g., coconut materials), along with a binder material (e.g., wheat gluten), are provided. In general, the fiber or lignocellulosic material is treated with sodium hydroxide and/or a silane coupling agent as an adhesion promoter to enhance interfacial adhesion between the fiber and the binder. For example, (3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-t-butylcarbamate (MISO) (a masked isocyanate functional silane) was utilized to improve interfacial adhesion between the binder and the natural fibers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a biocomposite, comprising:
treating a portion of a lignocellulosic material with a solution for removing surface impurities; and
treating a portion of the lignocellulosic material with an adhesion promoter,
wherein the adhesion promoter includes a masked adhesion promoter.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the lignocellulosic material after treating the portion of the lignocellulosic material with the solution for removing surface impurities.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of treating a portion of a lignocellulosic material with a solution for removing surface impurities includes at least one of soaking, contacting, spraying, depositing, mixing or blending the portion of the lignocellulosic material with the solution for removing surface impurities.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the lignocellulosic material after treating the portion of the lignocellulosic material with the masked adhesion promoter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of treating a portion of a lignocellulosic material with a masked adhesion promoter includes soaking, contacting, spraying, depositing, mixing or blending a portion of a lignocellulosic material with a masked adhesion promoter.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising demasking the masked adhesion promoter.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising treating the lignocellulosic material with a binder to form a composite preparation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the binder includes a wheat gluten-based binder.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution for removing surface impurities includes an alkali solution.

10. The method of claim 1 , Wherein the masked adhesion promoter includes a masked functional silane coupling agent.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material includes bagasse.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material includes wood.

13. A method for fabricating a biocomposite comprising:
treating a portion of a lignocellulosic material with an adhesion promoter, wherein the adhesion promoter includes a masked adhesion promoter; and
molding the lignocellulosic material.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising demasking the masked adhesion promoter.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising treating the lignocellulosic material with a binder to form a composite preparation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the binder includes a wheat gluten-based binder.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
drying the lignocellulosic material after treating.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the masked adhesion promoter includes a masked functional silane coupling agent.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the lignocellulosic material includes at least one of a coconut material, a bagasse material, a wood material, a hemp material, a kenaf material, a jute material and a cereal straw material.

20. A material mixture for use as a component in a cured biocomposite, the material mixture comprising at least one lignocellulosic material treated with a masked functional silane coupling agent.

Assignees

• Univ Connecticut
• Univ Conneticut

Inventors

• Parnas Richard
• Asandei Alexandru
• Hemsri Sudsiri
• Dowding Timothy

Classifications

• B29K2103/00

  Use of resin-bonded materials as moulding material · CPC title

• B29B13/06 Primary

  by drying (B29B13/08 takes precedence {; drying moulded articles or half products B29C37/0092}) · CPC title

• B29D7/01

  Films or sheets · CPC title

• C08L97/02

  Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse {(manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N)} · CPC title

• B29K2001/00

  Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as moulding material · CPC title