Application of Liquefied Wood Products for Particleboard Manufacturing: a Meta-analysis Review

Purpose of ReviewThe development of eco-friendly panels is one of the major issues for the wood industry, particularly in terms of developing new adhesive systems for reducing harmful emissions and dependence from fossil fuel resources. Among the plethora of various possible solutions, liquefied wood products have demonstrated promising features to decrease the use of petroleum-based amino resins. A meta-analysis was carried out to develop a quantitative synthesis of the state of the art of the application of liquefied wood products for particleboard manufacturing, investigating their effects on the board's properties.Recent FindingsThe results from meta-analysis revealed that the application of liquefied wood products does not significantly deteriorate the mechanical properties of particleboards. It has also been observed that there is no negative influence on the formaldehyde content of the panel, mostly when liquefied wood products are applied in mixture with commercial resin. The most interesting observation is that the performance of the boards was not affected by the type of feedstock used for liquefaction.The option to apply liquefied wood products has the potential to significantly decrease the application of commercial formaldehyde-based resins without leading to a deterioration of the properties of the panels. It is however important to note that there is currently a limited number of studies on this topic. The meta-analysis showed a notable variability of the effect sizes in the trials. Further study is needed to determine the outcomes and the benefits for the use of liquefied wood products on an industrial level.