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A process to agglomerate wood particles to produce wood particle boards
This is a technology to speed the production, lower the cost, and expand the supply base for wood slab manufacturers while addressing the new E.U. regulation to remove by 2012 all formaldehyde from the wood slab manufacturing process.

In the current manufacturing processes, wood slab manufacturers purchase low-quality lumber, appropriate machinery, and formaldehyde. They crush the lumber and use the formaldehyde in agglomeration to create a high-quality slab with an appealing appearance. However, formaldehyde is a cancer-causing agent and the EU has banned the use of formaldehyde in this process by 2012. Manufacturers must find new agglomerants to manufacture wood slabs.

This technology is a process to create wood slabs (wood particle boards) using a new agglomerant. The chemical used in this process is an di-isocyanate, which does not have cancer-causing properties. The manufacturing process needs less temperature and also can result in a higher quality wood slab that is less likely to break and is more water resistant. The new process allows using different sources of wood, including sawdust, pine bark, and larger trees. It also yields equal quality wood slabs when using eucalyptus, the current second choice of lumber when small pine tree lumber is not available.

The technology is available for license to wood slab manufacturers. The owners also seek support for development and sales of machines and associated services to wood slab manufacturers worldwide.

A Portuguese national patent has been issued on the process for manufacturing slabs using di-isocyanate as the agglomerant. The patent has progressed to the PCT national phase. A large wood slab manufacturer in Portugal has successfully tested a prototype and has shown interest in licensing the technology.


Inventor/s João Claro
Industry Furniture
Sponsor Institution Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Link to this Page http://www.techportugal.com/tech/woodparticles
Development Phase Field prototype

Features, Benefits, Innovation
Does not use formaldehyde, opens alternatives for raw materials, speeds the manufacturing process and uses less glue.

Potential Markets
Wood slab manufacturers

Technical Details
Uses di-isocyonate to agglomerate the wood particles.
The patent protects the process of agglomeration using di-isocyonate.

Intellectual Property

PCT Phase National
Portugal Granted, Patent #103693
US Provisional patent, Patent #PCT/IB2007/053125
Canada Provisional patent, Patent #PCT/IB2007/053125
France Provisional patent, Patent #PCT/IB2007/053125
Japan Provisional patent, Patent #PCT/IB2007/053125
Owners Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
IP Comments The patent has been granted in Portugal which provides provisional coverage through PCT.

Collaborations Sought

Licensing Startup Creation Research Collaboration
Development Partner Sales / Distribution Partner Investment

Collaboration Comments
The Inventor would like a large wood factory to license this technology.



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