Gutta-Percha-based Adhesive for Laminated Wood Production

Abstract

The characteristics of gutta-percha (i.e., chemical compound and melting and glass transition temperatures) and the performance of laminated wood (i.e., moisture content, density, shear strength, and delamination ratio) prepared from sengon wood (Paraserianthes falcataria L. Nielsen) bonded with a gutta-percha-based adhesive were investigated. The gutta-percha-based adhesive was prepared by modification of gutta-percha with 5% maleic anhydride (MAH) and 0.75% benzoyl peroxide (BPO) at various gutta-percha to toluene ratios (w/w) (i.e., 15:85; 17.5:82.5; 20:80; and 22.5:77.5), followed by heating at 70 °C in a water bath for 10 min. Laminated wood was manufactured using both modified and unmodified gutta-percha-based adhesives at 250 gm-2 of glue spread and clamped for 24 h. Terpenes, especially 1,3 butadiene, 2-methyl (CAS)-isoprene (trans 1,4- isoprene) (polyterpene), were found to be the dominant chemical component of gutta-percha. The glass transition and melting temperatures of gutta-percha were -56.75 °C and 51.67 °C, respectively. The modification of gutta-percha with MAH and BPO as an initiator resulted in improved performance for the laminated wood. Infra-red spectrometry of the modified gutta-percha-based adhesive showed a new peak at 1720 cm-1, indicating the C=O bond of MAH.

Keywords

• Gutta-percha
• Laminated wood
• Maleic anhydride
• Trans-1
• 4-isoprene
• Trans-1.4-isoprene