1. Introduction
In plywood technology, the components - veneers and adhesives, but also fillers - are increasingly being modified. The aim is to search for new possibilities in raw materials that are already known, but which have not yet been fully researched or their potential has not yet been fully exploited. Attempts have already been made to date to, among other things, modify the veneers used by using environmentally friendly vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technology, which has made it possible to significantly increase the strength properties of plywood and reduce water absorption [
1]. Impregnation of e.g. veneers can contribute to fire resistance properties if appropriate measures are used [
2]. Growing society's awareness is forcing the woodworking industry to become more and more environmentally friendly, which is why various attempts are already being made to replace formaldehyde glue with adhesives of natural origin, e.g. glutaraldehyde-modified starch has been used [
3]. The study confirmed that glutaraldehyde-modified starch can be used as a binder substitute in plywood technology [
4]. Other examples of plywood produced without formaldehyde include plywood glued with poly(vinyl alcohol)-tannin-hexamine baize glue [
5]. Plywood component modifications investigated include the addition of a silica filler to the adhesive to reduce the penetration of selected chemicals - this type of plywood was developed for use in warfare [
6]. In turn, the wood bark used as filler in plywood technology has been shown to have formaldehyde-reducing properties [
7,
8,
9]. Green tea also has the ability to reduce formaldehyde emissions, as confirmed by a study in which green tea leaves were used as a filler in plywood technology [
10]. Another raw material that allows formaldehyde emissions is a powder derived from modified ground pine needles. Using it as a filler allows high strength parameters to be maintained as well as reducing formaldehyde emissions. Tests were carried out using urea-formaldehyde resin at a 1:10 weight ratio of modified needle powder to resin [
11]. Research confirms that plants containing polyphenols, especially tannins, are characterized by their ability to reduce formaldehyde emissions [
12], among such plants, there are Thymus Plants, which can be successfully used as filler for plywood [
13].
Plywood is one of the most widely used wood materials and is used, apart from in the furniture industry, in aeroplane construction, for example [
14] and for the production of marine components, although lighter and more cost-effective alternatives are increasingly being sought [
15].
A commonly used filler in plywood is rye flour, due to its wide availability and low cost In view of the potential food crisis, it is good to know the alternative food raw materials that can be used interchangeably instead of the conventionally used rye flour [
16]. Increasingly, researchers are also investigating new flours, as despite having a very similar texture, each new raw material can have slightly different properties, such experimental attempts include: chestnut flour [
17], rice starch [
18], biomass combustion fly ash [
19]or soy four [
20,
21,
22]. These raw materials belong to the group of active fillers and therefore can swell and thus absorb moisture. The best solution in this regard would be to replace the filler with dust, which is inedible. There are also passive fillers, which do not react as intensively to moisture as active fillers, additionally, we distinguish a division into organic and inorganic fillers [
23]. This group includes, for example, fillers made from chestnut shell flour [
24], eggshells [
25] or used coffee grounds [
26]. In plywood technology, an alternative filler employed is derived from cactus waste seeds. These seeds have been successfully utilized as a filler in plywood panels bonded with phenol-formaldehyde adhesive. The decision to utilize cactus waste seeds as a filler was informed by the substantially higher cellulose content they possess, which stands at 27%, in contrast to the previously employed olive seeds for this adhesive application. The integration of cactus seed filler led to notable enhancements in the strength properties of the plywood, yielding results that compare favourably with those of the benchmark plywood. Furthermore, an observed reduction in formaldehyde emissions was a noteworthy outcome associated with the use of cactus seed filler[
27]. The use of fillers allows the viscosity of the glue to be controlled and prevents excessive absorption of the glue into the veneer, it also allows for an increase in dimensional stability [
28].[
29]. Activated carbon, due to its structure, holds significant potential as a filler in wood-based materials technology. It accelerates the curing of UF resin and also possesses the ability to reduce formaldehyde emissions [
30], this rather interesting piece of information can serve as inspiration for further processing of used dust in subsequent research.
The increasing amount of waste is forcing society to look for new solutions and reuse waste. Another argument in favour of extending research is the desire to follow the guidelines that are associated with the assumptions of a circular economy - to make maximum use of raw material before deciding to discard or dispose of it. Following this statement, Russian scientists used Powdered Paper Resin Films (PRF) consisting of melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin and bleached resin pulp and bleached pulp for their research. When combined with urea-formaldehyde resin, PRF increases the viscosity of the adhesive pulp up to 110%, while also increasing the gel time of the adhesive. This problem was solved with the hardener МО-4СБ (Russian acronym), but ammonium chloride can also be used, but its effect is weaker compared to МО-4СБ. The present adhesive mixture was used in three-layer plywood, and the strength parameters with this mixture were higher by 5% on average [
31]. The next example of an environmentally friendly and recycled adhesive for plywood production is an adhesive made from polypropylene filters from single-use face masks [
32]. The use of plastic containers as a bonding agent also aligns with the concept of a circular economy. Until now, such containers were properly cut and utilized as adhesives in plywood production. The research included, among other things, the selection of pressing temperatures to ensure the best bonding quality and prevent degradation of the containers.[
33]. Another example of eco-friendly adhesives for plywood is using extracts obtained from the bark of grey alder (
Alnus incana) and black alder (
Alnus glutinosa), rich in condensed tannins (CTs). Combined with polyethyleneimine or ultra-low emitting formaldehyde resin, they allow for achieving adhesive quality comparable to industrial resin while reducing formaldehyde emissions by up to 60%. Each of the adhesive combinations produced met the EN 314-2:1993 standards for both indoor and outdoor applications. This study confirms that alder bark particles can serve as a substitute for conventional fillers [
34].
It is increasingly easier to find information on the use of the dust fraction generated during the production of wood-based composites [
35] than on the use of dust generated from the recycling of wood-based composites such as particleboard and plywood. An intriguing approach for the development of an environmentally friendly adhesive involves utilizing waste cottonseed protein and sawdust as key constituents. To enhance its adhesive properties, a dual crosslinking modification process was employed, incorporating Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and oxidized cellulose (OC). The achieved strength results were found to be in compliance with the applicable Chinese strength standards for plywood, underscoring the considerable potential of this adhesive formulation as a sustainable alternative to urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin [
36].
The present research aims to explore the potential use of wood dust derived from recycled wood materials, in an effort to identify new opportunities for their utilization before making a decision regarding disposal.
Figure 1.
The process of formation and utilization of particulate fraction.
Figure 1.
The process of formation and utilization of particulate fraction.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials
The research involved the production of tree-layered plywood, which was manufactured using birch veneers (Betula Spp.). The veneers had a thickness of 1.8 mm with a moisture content (MC) of about 6%, and dimensions of 360 x 360 mm2.
As a binder, an industrial urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin Silekol S-123 (Silekol Sp. z o. o., Kędzierzyn—Koźle, Poland) of about 66% dry content [
37] was used, with ammonium nitrate water solution as a hardener, mass in 100 °C of about 86 s.
Rye starch as a filler in the reference sample (Producer: BioLife Sp.z.o.o. ul. Miodowa 17, 17-100 Bielsk Podlaski, Poland).
The remaining fillers used included: wood dust derived from sifting conventional wood shavings typically used in the production of particleboard (native), another filler was wood dust resulting from grinding particleboard with a nominal density of 650 kg m
−3, then particleboards with a density of 650 kg m
−3 were produced again and ground - from this grinding, dust was also obtained, which served as the filler after 2
nd milling. The entire procedure and characteristics have been described in [
38]. Other studies confirm that processing wood composite made from already fragmented wood contributes to the formation of smaller fractions compared to processing solid wood [
39].
2.2. Preparations of panels
As part of the research, three-layer plywood was produced with the following fillers: fine wood powder < 0.1 mm; native, after 1st and 2nd milling of 3-layer laminated particleboard. For each type of filler, plywood was produced with different proportions of the respective filler: reference, 1, 5, 10, 20%. The adhesive mixture was prepared in Parts By Weight (pbw): 100:4:10:5 (resin:hardener:filler:water). The adhesive mixture was applied to the veneers with a brush, and each layer of adhesive amounted to 180 g m−2. The veneers were laid alternately and then pressed in a hydraulic heated press for 7 minutes (AKE, Mariannelund, Sweden); pressing temperature 140°C; unit pressing pressure 1 MPa. After pressing, they were air-conditioned at 20°C ±1°C and 65%±2% humidity for weight stabilization before testing.
2.3. Characterization of panels
The mechanical tests were performed on a computer-controlled universal testing machine (Research and Development Centre for Wood-Based Panels Sp. z o.o. Czarna Woda, Poland). The following examinations were carried out: modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR) - the examination was conducted in accordance with applicable standards [
40], bonding quality in a dry state in accordance with EN 314-1 standard [
41]. Each test was conducted with 8 repetitions. Using the testing procedure specified in the standard for particleboards and fibreboards - Determination of swelling in thickness after immersion in water, an analysis was conducted for all variants [
42], additionally, a water absorption test was conducted. A density profile was also created for all variants (3 repetitions) using a Grecon DAX 5000 device (Fagus-GreCon Greten GmbH and Co. KG, ALfeld/Hannover, Germany), with sampling step 0.02 mm, measuring speed 0.1 mm s
−1.
2.3. Statistical Analysis
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test calculations were used to test (α= 0.05) for significant differences between factors and levels, where appropriate, using IBM SPSS statistic base (IBM, SPSS 20, Armonk, NY, USA).
5. Conclusions
This series of studies is a continuation of research under fully controlled conditions, which is still a fairly new approach to recycling. Previous studies have shown that the regrinding of raw material leads to the formation of a large amount of dust fraction, so this publication is devoted to one of the ways of managing dust in lignocellulosic layered composites technology. The dust obtained differs in its composition in terms of the amount of chemical additives, with the largest proportion of such fractions found in dust from the second milling of particleboard. An important aspect to consider when analysing the results is the origin of the raw material, commercially used flour has a different structure to wood, clean and contaminated.
The use of fillers in this form allows the substitution of conventionally used grain flour, which is a significant part of the food chain. Nevertheless, the parameters obtained are not as high as expected. On the basis of the tests carried out, it can be concluded that in this situation it would be advisable to chemically modify the recovered dust to make it more absorbent to moisture. Also, the hygienic aspects, like volatile organic compounds (VOC) or formaldehyde emissions, of the composites produced with the use of recycled wood dust will be in the field of further research.