Starch Grafted Water Resistant Polyvinyl Acetate-Based Wood Adhesive: A Review

Abstract

Global energy issues and the reliance on hydrocarbon resources have resulted in the reduction of petroleum sources, and the focus of the chemical industries has shifted to substitute raw material sources. The major raw materials used in wood adhesives, such as hydrocarbons like polyvinyl acetate, would be gradually replaced by renewable natural polymers. Currently, polyvinyl alcohol has the limitation of petroleum origin, which is non-economical and it will be replaced by biopolymers. Conventionally available wood adhesive emulsions are colloid-like polyvinyl alcohol stabilized. Starch, being a naturally available polymer, has gained interest from researchers for replacing polyvinyl alcohol as a stabilizer. New research on sustainable, economical, biodegradable, renewable, and environmentally friendly starch grafted polyvinyl acetate emulsion that was synthesized by the graft polymerization of vinyl acetate monomer onto starch. However, starch grafted polyvinyl acetate emulsion-based adhesive’s properties, such as poor water resistance, weak adhesion, delayed drying rate and delayed setting speed, have resulted in limitations in its application as a wood adhesive. A detailed review of starch grafting on vinyl acetate and comonomers like acrylamides, and acrylic acid, and the addition of nano-fillers to enhance the water resistance and performance properties of sustainable adhesives has been explained.