The Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) has developed new glue additives from tea leaves and tobacco stalks that would reduce the cost of producing plywood.

DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña cited that the development of glue additives would enhance the production of plywood in the country.

Currently, plywood is one of the most widely used wood-based panels in the country. 

"After several formulations and tests of the experimental plywood, the glue-mixes that produced the desired improved properties were piloted to produce full size plywood in two plywood factories in Sariaya, Quezon and Valenzuela City,” de la Peña said in a report.

"Based on factory trials, the FPRDI-developed formulations could match the commercial glue-mix formulations performance, showed lower formaldehyde emission and improved termite resistance,” he said. 

 Plywood  is made from several layers of veneers that are bonded by either urea formaldehyde (UF) or phenol formaldehyde (PF) adhesives,  

"The glue-mix either from UF and PF contains additives necessary to improve the working properties of the adhesives,” de la Peña said. 

He said the plywood manufacturers in the country are using the following traditional additives: the filler (rice hull or coconut shell flour), extender (wheat flour) and the catalyst.

Its main function is to fill-in the rough surface of the veneer, improve viscosity of the glue-mix for ease in spreading, he said. 

De la Peña said in terms of cost, the newly developed additives would reduce the cost of producing the plywood by as much as P60 per panel.

"The valued adding to the two waste materials would reduce solid waste disposal by converting them into useful products. Tobacco stalks in the glue-mix benefit the environment through reduction in air pollution and elimination of toxic pollutants in the soil as tobacco stalks are normally burned or allowed to decay in the field,” he said.

He said tobacco farmers will certainly benefit from the conversion of tobacco talks into additives. 

"The socio-economic benefit of the technology would be the potential added income to tobacco farmers through selling and/or processing of wastes stalks for the use of the plywood industry,” he said. 

"The better bond strength, reduced formaldehyde emission and improved termite resistance may help plywood manufacturers pass the PNS ISO (Philippine National Standards International Organization for Standardization) standards as well as convince contractors and builders to continuously use wood-based panels such as plywood,” he added.