TURI » Our Work » Research » Academic Resear... » Greener Plastic... » Safer Particleboard Resins  

Safer Particleboard Resins

Alternative Formaldehyde-Free Particleboard Compositions: Dr. Emmanuelle Reynaud, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UMass Lowell, investigated vegetable oil based binders for particleboard manufacture. The research provided valuable insight into the performance of these alternatives to the traditional formaldehyde-based binders used in construction materials. Eliminating formaldehyde is an important goal to improving the indoor air quality of structures, thereby eliminating potential exposure to carcinogenic compounds. This is particularly relevant as California passed a requirement that all particleboard sold after January 2009 produce less than 0.18 ppm of formaldehyde.

Examples of resins manufactured without formaldehyde