Focus On<br>Iowa Company Creates Low-Cost Soy Adhesive for Engineered Wood Industry
In cooperation with ISPB, Heartland Resource Technologies (HRT), Oelwein, IA, has developed a low-cost soy-based adhesive product that replaces traditional resins used in engineered wood products manufacturing. In addition to lower costs, it uses an environmentally friendly, renewable resource. Up to 50% of a traditional resin can be replaced with the lower cost HRT product and produce boards of comparable physical properties and assembly times. Heartland anticipates using upwards of one million bushels annually by its fifth year of production.
Frank S. Trocino and Dr. James Wescott, chairman and chief technology officer, respectively, are leading HRT's research efforts in conjunction with the USDA's Forest Product Laboratories (FPL) in Madison, WI. "We have successfully demonstrated this concept in oriented strand board, particleboard, plywood and molded products," Wescott said. "Traditional soy-based adhesives were greatly limited by pot lives, low solids, slow press times and poor water resistance. HRT has significantly improved upon previous limitations.