Effect of Copper (II) Sulfate on the Properties of Urea Formaldehyde Adhesive
The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of copper (II) sulfate on formaldehyde release and the mechanical properties of urea formaldehyde (UF) adhesive. Copper (II) sulfate has been used as a formaldehyde scavenger in UF resin, and its effects on the physical and chemical properties of UF adhesive have been studied. Moreover, the mechanical properties and formaldehyde release of plywood prepared with modified UF resin have been determined. The UF resin has been characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR spectra showed that the addition of copper (II) sulfate to the UF resin did not affect the infrared (IR) absorptions of its functional groups, implying that the structure of UF was not modified. Further results showed that: the free formaldehyde content of the UF resin by the incorporation of 3% copper (II) sulfate was 0.13 wt.%, around 71% lower than that of the control UF adhesive. With a copper (II) sulfate content of 3%, the formaldehyde release from treated plywood was 0.74 mg·L−1, around 50% lower than that from the control UF adhesive, and the bonding strength reached 1.73 MPa, around 43% higher than that of the control UF adhesive.