Simultaneous improvement of formaldehyde emission and adhesion of medium-density fiberboard bonded with low-molar ratio urea-formaldehyde resins modified with nanoclay

In wood-based composite panels, low-molar ratio (LMR) urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins usually result in reduced formaldehyde emission (FE) at the expense of poor adhesion. However, the FE and adhesion of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) bonded with LMR UF resins were both improved in this study. The modified LMR UF resins with transition metal ion-modified bentonite (TMI-BNT) nanoclay simultaneously improved the FE and adhesion of MDF panels. The modified LMR UF resins with 5% TMI-BNT resulted in a 37.1% FE reduction and 102.6% increase in the internal bonding (IB) strength of MDF panels. Furthermore, thickness swelling and water absorption also significantly decreased to 13.0% and 24.9%, respectively. These results imply that TMI-BNT modification of LMR UF resins could enhance the formation of a three-dimensional network rather than crystalline domains, resulting in improved cohesion.