Evaluation of pressing time in the production of edge glued panel with adhesive polyurethane derived from castor oil

Edge-glued panels are composed by the lateral and top gluing with adhesives of solid battens. These panels use small pieces of wood, offering an optimal usage of forest resources and the development of higher value-added products. The adhesive generally used to produce the panels are the synthetic ones (PVA or EPI). The polyurethane derived from castor oil may arise an alternative to replace the adhesives derived from non-natural origin, because it has no solvent in its composition, is a biodegradable material and it comes from a renewable resource. The bonding quality of this panel was performed according to BS EN 13353, which specify the minimum resistance values for panels under different humidity and temperature conditions applied to the international market. In this context, the aim of this paper was to evaluate the lateral gluing quality of Pinus taeda panels using the polyurethane derived from castor oil, as well as assess the pressing time effect on the bonding quality. The adhesive was applied into the battens surface in weight of 180 g/m 2 . The panels were put into a cold press machine for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h, totalizing five conditions and eight together/replications. The bonding quality of this panel was performed according to BS EN 13353 and BS EN 13354, under different humidity and temperature conditions. The results were submitted to statistical analysis by outlier tests, normality test, homogeneity variance, analysis of variance and mean comparison, all with 95 % reliability. The polyurethane showed acceptable values to EN-13353 for 4 h in the press machine. The test for critical humidity and temperature conditions showed a reduction in the adhesive bond strength, but still acceptable to EN-13353. Under these circumstances, it is concluded that the polyurethane derived from castor oil may be an alternative to produce lateral glued panels for dry conditions and internal and external applications for humid conditions.