Adhesives and industrial wood bonding

Wood has always been used for a variety of human activities, including construction, furniture, tools and means of transport. With the advent of industrialization, however, new materials have come into widespread use, to the point of supplanting wood in transport equipment (airplanes, boats, automobiles, trains). Initially, gluing was used to optimize the use of wood in construction and furnishings. In a second phase, the desire to reduce carbon emissions should lead to its development.

Since the last world war, great advances in the woodworking industry have been made through gluing. Gluing is now ubiquitous in 80% of manufactured wood products. Glued-laminated wood structures compete with steel and concrete. Disassembled, disposable kit furniture is replacing solid furniture. They are made from glued panels (veneer gluing for plywood, chipboard gluing for particleboard, wood fiber gluing for mediumboard, veneer gluing to imitate solid wood and paper gluing to imitate various decors). Glued wood floors account for almost all wood flooring and compete with tiles, PVC flooring and carpets. Honeycomb doors are largely replacing solid doors inside buildings.

This article begins by examining the physical and chemical properties of adhesives and wood, which are ultimately similar. This gives a better understanding of the reasons for using glues and the choices to be made according to the application. The use of adhesives and the necessary equipment is dealt with in general terms. It should be noted that each application requires specific adhesives, processing conditions and equipment that are generally identical for all continents. This technique is widely used for seating. It can also be used to make bed slats, sports boards (skateboards, snowboards), or furniture parts... Finally, the article concludes with a brief overview of the latest trends in this heavy industry, which consumes around 30% of the world's glues by volume.