Project to replace carcinogenic formaldehyde with bio-based, non-toxic 5-HMF
14 February 2017In conjunction with the Institute for Materials and Wood Technology at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Avalon Industries is launching a research project to replace formaldehyde in phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins with bio-based, non-toxic platform chemical 5-HMF (5-Hydroxymethylfurfural).
Government-sponsored by the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI), the project will build on the positive results in a similar research project, run by Avalon Industries parent company AVA-CO2, to develop non-toxic urea-HMF resins.
The research project, ‘Development of a formaldehyde-free phenol type adhesive system for the manufacturing of plywood’, aims to come up with a formaldehyde-free, sustainable and non-toxic adhesive for industrial use in the wood-processing industry.
The project will also investigate the replacement of phenol with lignin in order to develop 100% bio-based lignin-HMF resins.
“We’re delighted to lead yet another project developing non-toxic resins,” said Thomas Kläusli, chief marketing officer at Avalon Industries. “The aim of this project is to develop a formaldehyde-free, sustainable phenol-HMF adhesive for industrial use in the wood processing industry. We consider 5-HMF to be the most promising formaldehyde alternative for future resin production.
“In addition to replacing formaldehyde, we will also be studying the replacement of phenol with lignin in order to achieve a truly 100% bio-based adhesive.”
