Recent progress of biomass in conventional wood adhesives: a review

Abstract

The predominant adhesives currently utilized in the wood sector are sourced from petroleum. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that fossil resources possess a limited supply, and their extraction procedures can lead to adverse effects on the ecosystem. Renewable biomass resources have important application prospects in wood adhesives. This paper reviews the recent research progress on utilizing biomass to replace or modify conventional petroleum-based adhesives, focusing on the application of tannin, lignin, protein, starch, and cellulose in urea–formaldehyde (UF), melamine, phenol–formaldehyde (PF), epoxy (EP), and polyurethane (PU) resin adhesives. The symbiosis of renewable biomass with conventional petroleum-based adhesives portends substantial advancements for the wood adhesive industry. This review evaluates the substitution capacity and modification effect of biomass, discusses its application prospects in the wood-based panel industry, and predicts the future direction of biomass in wood adhesives, providing new inspirations for the development of novel green adhesives.