Switzerland’s Avalon Industries and the Institute for Materials and Wood Technology at the Bern University of Applied Sciences are collaborating on a research project to develop an environmentally friendly alternative to formaldehyde, a key material in adhesive resins for wood-based products.

In June 2014, the EU reclassified formaldehyde as carcinogenic and mutagenic. The project, which is government-sponsored by the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation, will look at replacing formaldehyde in phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins with 5-hydroxymethylfurfural  (5-HMF), a bio-based, non-toxic chemical platform chemical.

Avalon said the project will build on the positive results from similar research run by parent company AVA-CO2 to develop non-toxic urea-HMF resins.

Thomas Kläusli, chief marketing officer at Avalon Industries, said the aim is to develop a formaldehyde-free, sustainable phenol-HMF adhesive for industrial use in the wood-processing industry. “We consider 5-HMF to be the most promising formaldehyde alternative for future resin production,” he said.

The EU produces about 10 million t/y of formaldehyde, with around 47 million t/y produced worldwide, according to Avalon. A large proportion of synthesized formaldehyde is used in the production of glues and impregnating resins for wood-based materials. Adhesive resins are used in the manufacture of particle boards, plywood panels and chipboards, with the furniture industry as one of the main users.