Heat resistant soy adhesives for structural wood products

Introduction Because load-bearing bonded wood assemblies must support the structure during a fire, the limited softening and depolymerization of biobased polymers at elevated temperatures should be an advantage of biobased adhesives compared to fossil fuel-based adhesives. This study aimed at: 1) advancing biobased adhesive technology using renewable soy, and 2) better understanding the mechanisms of adhesion and failure of bonded materials. We evaluated several adhesives using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravametric analysis, as well as testing bonded specimens using ASTM D7247[1] and a new method involving as Automated Bond Evaluation System (ABES) apparatus. The data indicated good heat resistance for some soy adhesives and that the thermal softening can be separated from thermal degradation for understanding adhesive performance.