Preparation of wood laminates using high moisture content veneers

A method for making wood laminates from a plurality of wood veneers having a total moisture content of between 7-13 wt. % comprising (a) applying an adhesive to a mating surface of at least one of a plurality of veneers, said adhesive comprising a mixture of an alkaline catalyst and a blend of a thermosetting phenol-aldehyde resin and an acetone-formaldehyde resin, said blend having between about 0.25 to 0.43 part by weight acetone-formaldehyde resin per part by weight of phenol-aldehyde resin, said acetone-formaldehyde resin having been prepared by reacting acetone and formaldehyde in an aqueous reaction mixture under controlled reaction conditions at an acetone to formaldehyde mol ratio in the range of about 1:2.7 to 1:4 and at a pH of above about 8.0 to obtain an acetone-formaldehyde resin having a weight average molecular weight between 1,000 to 2,500 and a polydispersity index in the range of about 5 to 10;

• (b) assemblying said plurality of wood veneers into a panel by mating with the surface to which the adhesive has been applied, and (c) consolidating the panel at a temperature, pressure and for a time sufficient to cure the adhesive.

A method for making wood laminates from a plurality of wood veneers comprising (a) applying an adhesive to a mating surface of least one of a plurality of veneers, said adhesive comprising a mixture of an alkaline catalyst and a blend of a thermosetting phenol-aldehyde resin and an acetone-formaldehyde resin, said blend having between about 0.11 to one part by weight acetone-formaldehyde resin per part by weight of phenol-aldehyde resin, said acetone-formaldehyde resin having been prepared by reacting acetone and formaldehyde in an aqueous reaction mixture under controlled reaction conditions at an acetone to formaldehyde mol ratio in the range of about 1:2.7 to 1:4 and at a ph of above about 8.0, wherein said alkaline catalyst is sodium hydroxide and said ph is maintained by adding between about 2.0 and 3.0 percent by weight sodium hydroxide based on the weight of said acetone to said aqueous reaction mixture during preparation of said acetone-formaldehyde resin, (b) assembling said plurality of wood veneers into a panel by mating with the surface to which the adhesive has been applied, and (c) consolidating the panel at a temperature, pressure and for a time sufficient to cure the adhesive.

A method for making wood laminates from a plurality of wood veneers comprising (a) applying an adhesive to a mating surface of least one of a plurality of veneers, said adhesive comprising a mixture of an alkaline catalyst and a blend of a thermosetting phenol-aldehyde resin and an acetone-formaldehyde resin, said blend having between about 0.11 to one part by weight acetone-formaldehyde resin per part by weight of phenol-aldehyde resin, said acetone-formaldehyde resin having been prepared by reacting acetone and formaldehyde in an aqueous reaction mixture under controlled reaction conditions at an acetone to formaldehyde mol ratio in the range of about 1:2.7 to 1:4 and at a ph of above about 8.0, wherein said pH is maintained by adding between about 2.9 and 4.4 percent by mol alkaline catalyst based on the mols of said acetone to said aqueous reaction mixture during preparation of said acetone-formaldehyde resin, (b) assembling said plurality of wood veneers into a panel by mating with the surface to which the adhesive has been applied, and (c) consolidating the panel at a temperature, pressure and for a time sufficient to cure the adhesive.

An adhesive useful for bonding wood veneers comprising a mixture of an alkaline catalyst and a blend of a thermosetting phenol-aldehyde resin and an acetone-formaldehyde resin, said blend having between about 0.11 to one part by weight acetone-formaldehyde resin per part by weight of phenol-formaldehyde resin, said acetone-formaldehyde resin having been prepared by reacting acetone and formaldehyde in an aqueous reaction mixture under controlled reaction conditions at an acetone to formaldehyde mol ratio in the range of about 1:2.7 to 1:4 and at a ph of above about 8.0 to obtain an acetone-formaldehyde resin having a weight average molecular weight of less than about 2500 and a polydispersity index in the range of about 2 to 20.

An adhesive useful for bonding wood veneers comprising a mixture of an alkaline catalyst and a blend of a thermosetting phenol-aldehyde resin and an acetone-formaldehyde resin, said blend having between about 0.11 to one part by weight acetone-formaldehyde resin per part by weight of phenol-aldehyde resin, said acetone-formaldehyde resin having been prepared by reacting acetone and formaldehyde in an aqueous reaction mixture under controlled reaction conditions at an acetone to formaldehyde mol ratio in the range of about 1:2.7 to 1:4 and at a pH of above about 8, wherein said alkaline catalyst is sodium hydroxide and said pH is maintained by adding between about 2.0 and 3.0 percent by weight sodium hydroxide based on the weight of said acetone to said aqueous reaction mixture during preparation of said acetone-formaldehyde resin.

An adhesive useful for bonding wood veneers comprising a mixture of an alkaline catalyst and a blend of a thermosetting phenol-aldehyde resin and acetone-formaldehyde resin, said blend having between about 0.11 to one part by weight acetone-formaldehyde resin per part by weight of phenol-aldehyde resin, said acetone-formaldehyde resin having been prepared by reacting acetone and formaldehyde in an aqueous reaction mixture under controlled reaction conditions at an acetone to formaldehyde mol ratio in the range of about 1:2.7 to 1:4 and at a pH of above about 8.0, wherein said pH is maintained by adding between about 2.9 and 4.4% by mol alkaline catalyst based on the mols of said acetone to said aqueous reaction mixture during preparation of said acetone-formaldehyde resin.