Forest materials for high-performance adhesives
Bio-based resins may replace oil-based materials without compromising strength, cost, or scaleability.
Researchers at the University of Oulu, Finland, report to have developed high-performance bio-based resins. The new epoxy and polyester resins, produced from biomass-derived platform chemicals, are said to match or outperform fossil-based counterparts. The raw materials are sourced from forestry and agricultural side-streams such as sawdust and straw.
Polyester resins are widely used in fibreglass composite structures such as boats and caravans. While epoxy resins are essential in adhesives and high-performance composites found in sports equipment and industrial components.
According to Doctoral Researcher Mikko Salonen, the results are striking, ‘The biomass-based polyester resin we developed shows up to 76% higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin.’
One advantage of bio-based resins is that they offer chemical recyclability and reuse. The researchers estimate that the bio-based resins will have a matching price point to existing options as they can be processed using existing production lines.
The key building blocks — including hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural — are derived from cellulose and hemicellulose found in lignocellulosic biomass in forestry and agricultural
The epoxy resin results were published in the study Circular composite materials: Biomass-based furan epoxies with high-performance and closed-loop recyclability. The research involved collaborators from Italy and Sweden and was carried out under the Business Finland-funded FurBio flagship project.
