The present invention provides a method for the production of a solid molded article comprising non-wood plant material, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing one or more fresh non-wood plant materials having a moisture content from 20% w/w to 99 w/w; (b) heating the fresh non-wood plant material at a temperature from 40° C. to 250° C., in particular, at a temperature from 60° C. to 140° C., and a pressure from 40 KPa to 750 KPa, in particular, for at least 0.5 h, maintaining the moisture content of the material equal to or higher than 20% w/w; (c) molding the heated material obtained in step (b); and (d) drying the molded material obtained in step (c). The invention also provides solid molded articles obtainable by the method of the invention.

The present invention provides a method for the production of a solid molded article comprising non-wood plant material, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing one or more fresh non-wood plant materials having a moisture content from 20% w/w to 99 w/w; (b) heating the fresh non-wood plant material at a temperature from 40° C. to 250° C., in particular, at a temperature from 60° C. to 140° C., and a pressure from 40 KPa to 750 KPa, in particular, for at least 0.5 h, maintaining the moisture content of the material equal to or higher than 20% w/w; (c) molding the heated material obtained in step (b); and (d) drying the molded material obtained in step (c). The invention also provides solid molded articles obtainable by the method of the invention.

A method for decorating a substrate by providing the substrate, detecting a first design covering a first area of the substrate and/or detecting the positioning of the first design with respect to the substrate, providing a second design which is a function of the first design and/or of the positioning of the first design with respect to the substrate, and printing the second design covering a second area of the substrate.

A plank has a first portion with at least three layers. The first layer is of a plant material, and has an inner surface that includes a nonwoven fabric or a fiberglass mesh. The second layer is of an adhesive paper material that includes a macromolecular glue where the macromolecular glue is 50-55% melamine, 35-40% plasticizer, and 3-5% formaldehyde. The third layer is one of bamboo, wood, or paper. The plank has a second portion, which may be of a plastic composite base material or a magnesium oxide composite base material. When the second portion is of a plastic composite material, the first portion is fused to the second portion by cold pressing or a polyurethane reactive adhesive. When the second material is of a magnesium oxide composite base material, the first portion is thermally pressed to the second portion by cold pressing, hot pressing or a polyurethane reactive adhesive.

The present invention relates to the use of a bonding resin prepared by providing an aqueous solution comprising at least one biobased product selected from tannin, starch, soy protein, glycerol, chitin, pectin, dextrose or other carbohydrates, or a mixture thereof and mixing the aqueous solution with one or more of certain crosslinkers such as ethers, and optionally one or more additives. The bonding resin is used in the manufacture of laminates, mineral wool insulation or wood products, such as engineered wood products, such as plywood, oriented strandboard (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), medium density fiberboards (MDF), high density fiberboards (HDF) or particle boards. Preferably, the bonding resin does not comprise lignin.

The present invention relates to a method for assembling particles having a long axis, a short axis and an average aspect ratio of 10-10,000. The method includes agitating a combination of a first solution, a second solution and the particles in any order to form a mixture wherein one of the first solution and the second solution is in the form of droplets dispersed in the other of the first solution and the second solution and the long axis of the particles is longer than a diameter of the droplets in the mixture, and continuing the agitation until the particles assemble into aggregates of particles with at least 30% of the particles aligned in parallel along the long axis. Aggregate or aggregate composites form by the method are also described.

A plank has a first portion with at least three layers. The first layer is of a plant material, and has an inner surface that includes a nonwoven fabric or a fiberglass mesh. The second layer is of an adhesive paper material that includes a macromolecular glue where the macromolecular glue is 50-55% melamine, 35-40% plasticizer, and 3-5% formaldehyde. The third layer is one of bamboo, wood, or paper. The plank has a second portion, which may be of a plastic composite base material or a magnesium oxide composite base material. When the second portion is of a plastic composite material, the first portion is fused to the second portion by cold pressing or a polyurethane reactive adhesive. When the second material is of a magnesium oxide composite base material, the first portion is thermally pressed to the second portion by cold pressing, hot pressing or a polyurethane reactive adhesive.

A method of producing a veneered element, including providing a substrate, applying a sub-layer on a surface of the substrate, applying a veneer layer on the sub-layer, and applying pressure to the veneer layer and/or the substrate, such that at least a portion of the sub-layer permeates through the veneer layer. Also, such a veneered element.

A method of producing a veneered element, including providing a substrate, applying a sub-layer on a surface of the substrate, applying a veneer layer on the sub-layer, and applying pressure to the veneer layer and/or the substrate, such that at least a portion of the sub-layer permeates through the veneer layer. Also, such a veneered element.

A compressed article formed by a composite material comprising a thermoset polymer and a wood material, a method of producing the same and the use of the novel articles. The composite material has a continuous matrix of a hardened thermoset polymer and, distributed within the matrix, wood chips which are at least partially encased by the thermoset polymer, said article having a water absorbency of less than 1% by weight upon immersion into water over a time period of at least 168 h at room temperature. The articles can be used in structures that are frequently contacted with water.