Panels & Furniture Asia January/February 2024

PANEL MANUFACTURING
Our team of 30 has embarked on a tough but
rewarding and satisfying mission to develop the
wood adhesive technologies that will satisfy the
future needs of this intricate and magnificent
industry we all love.
Charles Markessini, Vice-President, R&D, CHIMAR
adhesives that the sector is using, and their
cost is attractive while their carbon footprint
is either close to zero or even in some
cases negative as they can store carbon.
This project, a very demanding one from a
scientific point of view, has been successful
on a commercial scale, to a degree that
surpassed even the most optimistic scenario.
The Durabind series of products developed
with Ecosynthetix offers several advantages
to industries that wish to produce no-added
formaldehyde (NAF) particleboard, MDF and
OSB by using polymeric methyl diphenyl
diisocyanate (pMDI). Durabind products
reduce the carbon footprint of the production
but also offer economical and technical
advantages. For instance, the production
outcome is significantly increased while
process benefits such as tack in particleboard
and blowline cleanliness in MDF are observed,
alongside greater machinability of the final
product.
Researching on
UF resin
already remarkable and it reduces the
carbon footprint of the wood-based panel
production process, we firmly believe that
through innovation related to the production
process of this material, its market value will
be increased and its price will be reduced,
enabling its widespread adoption by the
industry.
CHIMAR has worked with companies in
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. What
was the experience like working with them,
what extra considerations do you have to
account for when working with companies
in South East Asia?
Markessini: The most important
consideration is that the wood species
in this region are different, so that alone
poses a great challenge. The South East
Asian market is demanding as high moisture
resistance and low formaldehyde emissions
are a prerequisite especially for products to
be exported.
market shows signs of improvement. These
products can increase the line speed by a
factor of up to 30%, while the cost increase is
minimal.
Lastly, do you want to add anything else
about CHIMAR that has not been touched on?
Markessini: Every project, from the short-term
ones that demand swift reaction and agility in a
matter of days, to the long-term ones that test
our stamina and perseverance for decades,
has contributed to our knowledge, and so have
our partners from the industrial, academic and
equipment manufacturing worlds. Our team
of 30 has embarked on a tough but rewarding
and satisfying mission to develop the wood
adhesive technologies that will satisfy the
future needs of this intricate and magnificent
industry we all love. P
References
1. Chimar Hellas. Chimar – UPM: Lignin based Phenolic Resins.
2. Chimar Hellas. Chimar – Ecosynthetix: No added Formaldehyde
Binders.
Can you also share CHIMAR’s progress on the
micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) research in
wood panel production?
Markessini: We are cooperating with
several companies, research institutes and
universities related to new forms of nano- or
micro-cellulose. It is a fascinating material
that acts as a rheology modifier and a polymer
reinforcing agent.
Although we believe it is one of the most
promising materials available in the market
today, its low solid content and relatively
high price currently inhibit its widespread
commercialisation in the low-cost
commoditised market of formaldehydebased
resins. Since its performance is
CHIMAR has not been able to successfully
transfer the aforementioned message about
the continuous development to South East
Asia yet. Probably the market barriers have
had a negative effect on the efficiency and
outreach of the message. Nevertheless, as
this market is a focal point of the growth plan
of CHIMAR, we are constantly evolving our
messaging and we hope we can convince
a large proportion of the producers to
enter common development projects with
CHIMAR — to enjoy the fruits that advanced
technological developments yield in the
realm of wood adhesives. Moreover, the new
product line of CHIMAR, catalysts for pMDI
bonded wood-based panels, is expected to
sell well in the Asian market, as soon as the
Charles Markessini, Vice-President, R&D,
CHIMAR
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024 | PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA 39