Using DDGS-soy flour mixtures as adhesives for wood composites

Authors: Boddu, Veera; Tisserat, Brent

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2018
Publication Date: 7/24/2018
Citation: Boddu, V.M., Tisserat, B. 2018. Using DDGS-soy flour mixtures as adhesives for wood composites [abstract]. 15th International Symposium on Bioplastics, Biocomposites & Biorefining (ISBBB 2018), July 24-27, 2018, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Approximately 42 million tons of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are generated by the U.S. ethanol industry. The DDGSs are typically sold as animal feed and contain ~30% protein. Due to large quantities generated and the limitations on using DDGS in feed formulations, non-dietetic uses for DDGS are being sought to provide revenues for bio-refineries. Defatted DDGS flour can be mixed with wood particles (10 - 90% by weight) to fabricate particleboard, medium density fiberboard and high density fiberboard composites. Soy flour is also commonly employed to fabricate composite panels. However, soy flour costs 10 times as much as DDGS flour. DDGS-wood composites were somewhat inferior to soy flour composites. However, mixing soy flour and DDGS together results in an adhesive that rivals that of employing 100% soy flour. DDGS-soy flour composite properties satisfy several European Committee Industry Standards for fiberboards in terms of flexural properties but were inferior in terms of thickness and swelling properties. We also found that the source of the wood reinforcement had a profound influence on the mechanical and physical properties of the composite. Several different wood species (Aspen, Paulownia, Pine, Red Cedar, and Osage orange) were tested with various dosages of DDGS-Soy flour to ascertain their flexural and dimensional stability properties. These results suggest that novel adhesive/resins can be obtained from mixtures of DDGS and soy flour.