Composite maillard-resole binders

A method of manufacturing a collection of matter held together by a binder, the method comprising:

• preparing an aqueous solution comprising an uncured resole resin, a carbohydrate reactant, and an amine reactant, where the carbohydrate and the amine reactants are Maillard reactants,
• disposing the aqueous solution onto a collection of matter,
• volatilizing water to form a dehydrated reactive mixture as an uncured binder disposed upon the collection of matter, and
• curing the dehydrated reactive mixture to form an infusible polymeric product, wherein the infusible polymeric product is the binder that promotes cohesion of the collection of matter, and
• wherein the Maillard reactants comprise (a) a monosaccharide;
• and (b) an ammonium salt of a polycarboxylic acid, and wherein the ratio of the number of moles of the ammonium salt to the number of moles of the monosaccharide is in the range from 1:4 to 1:15.