Reinforcement of urea formaldehyde resins with pectins derived from orange peel residues for the production of wood-based panels

Pectin is a high molecular weight carbohydrate polymer that can be utilized in various applications in many sectors. The current study involved extracting pectin samples from orange peel residues and utilizing them as additives in water-based adhesive systems for producing composite wood panels. Three pectin types were used, named Pectin-A (extracted from orange peels with HCl), pectin-B (extracted from orange peels with H2SO4) and a commercial pectin called Pectin-C. The aim of the study was to examine the possibility of enhancing the efficacy of wood-based panels, such as particleboard, by strengthening amino resins like urea-formaldehyde resin (UF) using pectin samples. Three methods were utilized to incorporate the pectins into the adhesive systems: pectin 0.1% w/w dry/liquid resin added during the initial (1) and final (2) stage of the resin’s synthesis and pectin 0.1% w/w dry/liquid resin was incorporated into the glue mixture (3), which was then sprayed onto wood particles for the production of particleboard (PB) panels. It was found that pectins improve the performance of the final particleboards, especially when added during the UF resin synthesis. In addition, they may provide the adhesive and wood panel producers with a more environmentally friendly bio-additive for their products.