Adhesive Strength of Pilot-Scale Washed Cottonseed Meal in Comparison with a Synthetic Adhesive for Non-Structural Application

Water washed cottonseed meal (WCSM) has been shown the potential to be used as renewable and environment- friendly adhesives in wood products industry. Recently, WCSM was produced from defatted meal in a pilot scale. In this study, we initially compared the adhesive strength of the pilot-produced WCSM with that of a synthetic adhesive Vinavil 2259 L. Under the testing conditions, WCSM possessed very high heat resistance according to European standard EN14257 (adhesive strength after 1 hour at 80°C) and acceptable dry strength (EN204/205) as the conventional D1, perhaps also D2, wood adhesives for nonstructural interior application. However, the water resistance (specimens were put in water for 4 days and then pulled in the dynamometer) of WCSM was lower than that of the synthetic adhesive as D3 type adhesives which is more widely used in protected outside. Further work will be focused on the increase of solid content of the final adhesive slurries and the improvement of their water resistance.