Low-Density Wood-Fiber Insulation Boards Produced with Canola Isolated-Protein Based as a Binder

Cárdenas-Oscanoa A.J.; Tayo L.T.; Nayaka D.S.; Euring M. · Journal of Natural Fibers (2025) · DOI: 10.1080/15440478.2025.2578609

Resumen

There is a necessity to develop products using natural fibers instead of those derived from fossil fuels. In former years, insulation board products were based commonly on nonrenewable sources like glass and rock. Nowadays, the trend in insulation boards is turning to lignocellulosic-based fiber. However, the binder nature is still an issue, being polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate, a nonrenewable origin one, the most common in pressure-resistant insulation boards. To address this, wood-based insulation boards were created using an adhesive derived from isolated-canola protein, a naturally-based binder. Wood-fiber-based insulation boards were produced by hot press with densities of 100 kg.m−3, 115 kg.m−3, 130 kg.m−3 and 160 kg.m−3 and binder proportions of 10% and 12%. They were compared with wood-based boards bonded with 4% pMDI, as is common in similar commercial wood-fiber insulation boards. The results report that as density increases, compression and internal bonding strength values also rise, irrespective of the binder type. The thermal conductivity values demonstrated that produced boards can be classified as insulation materials, with density having a direct influence on thermal conductivity. The findings confirmed that it is feasible to produce wood-based insulation boards using a canola-based binder with sodium nitrite as a crosslinker.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina