Super Adhesive Developed from Wood Biomass

The Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute of Japan announced on January 22, 2009, that it has successfully developed a high-performance adhesive agent from the lignin contained in wood, in partnership with the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Nagaoka University of Technology. The new adhesive is especially effective in bonding metal, and three times stronger than epoxy adhesives.

Lignin, which accounts for approximately 30 percent of wood content, has typically only been used in pulp mills as fuel. Having established a method to produce 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), a chemically stable and useful compound, from lignin using genetic engineering, the joint research group succeeded in transforming the PDC into a polymer. It has an adhesive strength of 90 mega-Pascals (Mpa), or about 900 kilograms per square centimeter, which is three times stronger than common epoxy adhesive agents when used to bond two pieces of stainless steel together.

The institute plans to build up cooperation among industry, academia, and government for practical applications of the technology and to reduce production costs. PDC is a typical raw material for polymers and promise to have many applications for multi-purpose plastics. The new technology is expected to promote high value-added use of lignin, providing an effective use for unused biomass such as brushwood from forestlands.

Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute official website
http://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/e_version/index-e.html
Polyesters of 2-Pyrone-4, 6-Dicarboxylic Acid (PDC) Obtained from a Metabolic Intermediate of Lignin
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=20223222

Posted: 2009/05/01 06:00:15 AM