Usage of the New Modifier-curing Agent in Plywood Technology: The Influence to Urea-formaldehyde Resin Curing and Formaldehyde Emission

One of the urgent scientific and technical objectives in the technologies of plywood and wood boards is the search for ways to reduce of hot pressing time without increasing the formaldehyde emission from finished products. To solve this problem was developed the new modifier-curing agent MC-4SF, is mainly a product of interaction of citric acid with urea and ammonia. Compared to traditional ammonium salts, the modifier-curing agent combines the properties of both direct and latent catalysts. Determination of the composition of residual methylol groups in the aqueous extracts obtained by treating the resin cured at 100 °C showed that the modifier-curing agent provides relatively high hydrolytic stability of the UF-polymer during extraction. Spectra of solid-state 13C NMR showed that in resins cured with MC-4SF increased the compound of methylene bridges compared to resins cured with standard catalysts. It is possible that the amino groups of urea (or its derivatives) included in the modifier-curing agent, react with the methylol groups of UF oligomers, fitting urea into the structure of the resulting polymer. Thus explains the increased hydrolytic stability and reduced toxicity of the cured resin. Manufacturing tests of nine-layer plywood made with a modifier-curing agent showed that replacing ammonium sulfate with MC-4SF allows a significant reduction in pressing time at 110 °C without loss of quality of the finished product. With the same pressing time, it was possible to increase the line shear strength by 14% and to reduce formaldehyde emission by 45%.