The present invention relates to a process for lignin dissolution in which partial methylolation of lignin is carried out during the step of preparing a solution of lignin in an aqueous medium comprising alkali. The lignin prepared according to the process of the present invention can be used to manufacture lignin-based phenolic resins, which are particularly useful in the manufacture of laminates.

An adhesive composition is disclosed, and includes an aldehyde-based resin selected from the group consisting of urea-formaldehyde resins, melamine-formaldehyde resins, melamine-urea-formaldehyde resins, phenol-containing resins, and mixtures, combinations, and sub-combinations thereof, and a formaldehyde scavenger selected from the group consisting of chitosan, nano-chitosan, functionalized chitosan, and mixtures, combinations, and sub-combinations thereof.

A method for producing a shaped article comprising: a) providing a binder, which has been produced by a process of: (i) mixing (A) fungi or glucan and (B) starch with an alkaline agent to form an alkaline composition; and mixing the alkaline composition with an acidic agent to form the binder; or (ii) mixing (A) fungi or glucan and (B) starch with an acidic agent to form an acidic composition; and mixing the acidic composition with an alkaline agent to form the binder; (b) forming a binder composition by mixing the binder with filler material; (c) shaping the binder composition into a three-dimensional shape; and (d) curing the binder composition to form a shaped article having said three-dimensional shape, wherein steps c) and d) can be carried out simultaneously or separately, and wherein during one or both of steps c) and d) pressure is applied to the binder composition.

A method of manufacture of medium and high density fibreboard with moisture and mildew resistance and low formaldehyde emission, which includes the steps of: (a) providing wood chips; (b) pre-steaming; (c) refining the wood chips into fibers and adding 250-800 kg/m.sup.3 urea-formaldehyde resin adhesive, mildew inhibiting agent, fireproof bonding agent, nigrosine solution with a mass percentage of nigrosine in absolutely dried fiber of 1-1.2%, 6-8 kg/m.sup.3 refined paraffin and 1.5-2 kg/m.sup.3 curing agent; (d) feeding activated carbon of 100-200 mesh to mix with the fibers and then drying the fibers to a water content between 8-10%; (e) separating qualified fibers to measuring silo; (f) laying the fibers onto a mat formation platform uniformly to form a fiber mat by pre-pressing; (g) pre-heating the fiber mat; and (h) processing continuous hot-pressing to form a raw board. The resulting fiberboard is black in color, has good physical properties and low formaldehyde emission rate.

The invention relates to a method for producing flexible or elastic wood fiber insulating material products, having the following steps: -providing wood fibers which have been produced in a refiner. -providing multicomponent fibers with an inner and an outer component, said outer component melting or fusing at a melting temperature at which the inner component does not melt or fuse or has not yet melted or fused. -providing a mixture of wood fibers and multicomponent fibers. -heating the mixture to a temperature at which the outer component melts or fuses, andconnecting the multicomponent fibers together and to the wood fibers while cooling the mixture, wherein hardwood fiber bundles, in particular beechwood fiber bundles, are used as the wood fibers, and biodegradable multicomponent fibers are used as the multicomponent fibers.

Provided are a structure and a method of forming a structure that includes a core made, at least in part, of a rice hull composition. The rice hull composition including a combination of separate, unground rice hulls; ground rice hulls; and a rice hull powder, that each have a different particle size. A polymeric binder, such as a recycled plastic polymeric binder binds the separated unground rice hulls, the ground rice hulls and the rice hull powder together.

The disclosure relates to adhesive compositions, including non-crosslinked resins and crosslinked/cured adhesives joining substrates, as well as related methods for making the compositions and articles. Compared to a conventional phenol (P) and formaldehyde (F) resin, the disclosed methods and compositions use lignin (L), formaldehyde (F), and optionally higher aldehydes (A) as corresponding replacements to provide an analog to a conventional PF resin with biobased reactants. Due to the differing reactivity of the LF components compared to the PF components, the initial condensation reaction between ortho-reactive sites in the lignin and the aldehyde is controlled to prevent gelation of the aqueous reaction mixture while reacting substantially all of the LF reactants to provide a non-crosslinked resin reaction product. The resin reaction product can then be cured at high temperature/high pressure conditions to provide a crosslinked adhesive, for example joining two substrates.

A curable aqueous composition is disclosed comprising a carbohydrate, a crosslinking agent, and an amine base, wherein the curable aqueous composition has a pH adjusted by the amine base. Further disclosed is a method of forming a curable aqueous solution.

Provided are a structure and a method of forming a structure that includes a core made, at least in part, of a rice hull composition. The rice hull composition including a combination of separate, unground rice hulls; ground rice hulls; and a rice hull powder, that each have a different particle size. A polymeric binder, such as a recycled plastic polymeric binder binds the separated unground rice hulls, the ground rice hulls and the rice hull powder together.

A method of manufacture of medium and high density fibreboard with moisture and mildew resistance and low formaldehyde emission, which includes the steps of: (a) providing wood chips; (b) pre-steaming; (c) refining the wood chips into fibers and adding 200-230 kg/m.sup.3 urea-formaldehyde resin adhesive, nigrosine solution with a mass percentage of nigrosine in absolutely dried fiber of 1-1.2%, 6-8 kg/m.sup.3 refined paraffin and 1.5-2 kg/m.sup.3 curing agent; (d) feeding activated carbon of 100-200 mesh to mix with the fibers and then drying the fibers to a water content between 8-10%; (e) separating qualified fibers to measuring silo; (f) laying the fibers onto a mat formation platform uniformly to form a fiber mat by pre-pressing; (g) pre-heating the fiber mat; and (h) processing continuous hot-pressing to form a raw board. The resulting fiberboard is black in color, has good physical properties and low formaldehyde emission rate.