Published: Feb. 11, 2026
APPLICATIONS:
Adhesive for engineered wood products, wood bonding, and wood-based composites.
ADVANTAGES:
- High mechanical performance
- Formaldehyde-free
- Sustainably sourced
- Cost-effective scalability
- Enhanced shear strength and mechanical performance compared to polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI)
BACKGROUND: The use of traditional synthetic adhesives such as phenol-formaldehyde adhesives in engineered wood products has raised concerns due to their potential health and environmental impacts. PMDI, a widely adopted formaldehyde-free alternative, still poses health risks during manufacturing and remains petrochemical-derived. Lignin-based adhesives offer a sustainable alternative. Ionic liquid (IL)-extracted lignin retains key functional groups such as phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyls, exhibits controlled molecular weight, and contains minimal ash and carbohydrate impurities—factors critical for strong adhesive performance. The tunable chemistry of ILs allows selective extraction of lignin with desirable structural features from diverse biomass sources.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION:
Researchers at JBEI developed high-performance, lignin-based adhesives using lignin extracted from diverse biomass sources via ionic liquid (IL) fractionation. IL fractionation yielded lignin with markedly enhanced binding properties.
An adhesive formulation containing just 20% IL-derived lignin outperformed conventional polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI) binders. Furthermore, IL lignin content was successfully increased to 40% without any loss in adhesive performance. The formula is compatible with existing hot-press manufacturing.
Unlike conventional kraft lignin, IL-extracted lignin retains properties critical for strong adhesive performance. Shear strengths of IL-lignin bonded samples processed in the lab are significantly higher than that of kraft samples.
These results highlight the promise of IL-extracted lignin as a safe, formaldehyde-free alternative for engineered wood adhesives, offering both environmental, performance, and cost advantages.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE:
TRL 4 – Prototype development and testing completed
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:
Malavika Bagepalli
STATUS: Patent pending. Licensing opportunities available for commercialization and further development.
