Wetting and film formation of wheat gluten dispersions applied to wood substrates as particle board adhesives

• Properties of wheat gluten proteins as board adhesives strongly depend on the initial film formation.
• A two-step gluing process improves the performance.
• Dispersion viscosity and concentration affect substrate penetration behaviour.
• Micro-CT analysis and optical microscopy visualize the penetration of the WG dispersion into the wood.

The wetting, penetration, and film formation of wheat gluten dispersions on porous wood substrates have been studied using different microscopy techniques. The effect variation of wheat gluten concentration, processing temperatures, dispersion composition, and the application scheme has been studied. The results have been correlated to previously obtained results on the function of wheat gluten dispersions as adhesive binders for particle boards. The results show that the dispersions readily penetrate the porous wood substrate and that the key parameters for a successful gluing are the dispersion viscosity, concentration, and the application scheme.

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