Curing characterization of tannin-hexamine adhesive by automated bonding evaluation system, dielectric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis

Abstract

The characterization of the curing process allows the determination of the optimal pressing parameters, which is essential for the economical production of wood-based composites. In this study, an automated bonding evaluation system (ABES), dielectric analysis (DEA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were used to determine the curing parameters of biobased pine tannin-hexamine adhesive at five temperatures ranging from 75 to 175 °C. This study aimed to compare the three above methods and to find correlations between them. All methods showed the same trend of the curing process, which became faster with increasing temperature. Due to various heating rates among the different methods, the curves representing the degree of cure were shifted to the left for the period in which nearly isothermal conditions were reached. It was determined that these methods could be mutually comparable. The ABES was regarded as the reference method; the DEA was regarded as a method that overestimates the curing process and that describes the beginning of the curing process more precisely; and the DMA method was regarded as a method that underestimates the curing process and that describes the end of the curing process more precisely. Linear trend lines were found between the observed methods.