Soy Protein Adhesives for Particleboard Production – A Review

Formaldehyde-based resins are commonly used in the particleboard industry due to their high bonding strength and excellent water resistance. Nowadays, the healthy and sustainable issues lead to the development of bio-based wood adhesives. In the last past decade, soybeans were the most prominent crop for the production of environmentally friendly adhesive with no formaldehyde in its composition. This review covers the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of soy-based adhesives as a replacement of conventional resins. Moreover, this work details the different techniques used to improve the performance of soy protein adhesives in order to encourage their use in the wood industry.