Technical Data Sheet Wood & Specialty Adhesives

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Telefax +47 63819050
www.dynea.com

Prefere 4976
Powder phenol-formaldehyde resin for the plywood industry

Use

Prefere 4976, mixed with hardener Prefere 5909, provides a fully weather and
boil proof adhesive for use in the manufacture of exterior and marine grades
plywood conforming to plywood specifications such as:

 British Standard BS 6566:Part 8:1985, Type WBP.

 German Standard DIN 68 705, Teil 2, Type AW and Teil 3, Type BFU
100.
 French Standard CTB-X, Type Exterieur.
 Japanese Plywood Export Standard, Type I
 U.S. Product Standards PS 1-83 and ANSI/HPMA 1983, Exterior
grade.
 European Standard EN 314-2 Class 3 (non covered exterior).

Prefere 4976 is used in hot bonding only.

Technical data

Brown, free-flowing
Appearance
powder
Solubility in water Infinite
Viscosity in 1:1 aqueous solution at 25°C 300-600 mPa.s
Alkalinity, % NaOH (w/w) 17.5-19.1
Specific gravity in 1:1 aqueous solution at 25°C 1.22-1.23

Containers

Standard export sacks, each 25 kg net. The sacks can be delivered on

pallets covered by shrinkable plastic.

Storage

The resin should be stored in the original containers in a dry place and kept
as cool as possible. The factor determining the shelf life is the viscosity which
will increase during storage. The rate of viscosity increase is temperature

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Technical Data Sheet for Prefere 4976, edition January 2010, page 1 of 6 pages
 Wood & Specialty Adhesives

dependent. Consequently, the shelf life related to the storage temperature.

At 20°C Prefere 4976 may be stored for one year. At higher temperatures the
shelf life is shorter.

Hardener

Hardener Prefere 5909 for Prefere 4976 is fast curing. It is a greyish powder
with practically unlimited shelf lives when kept in a cool place and protected
against uptake of moisture or water.

The hardener is delivered in sacks of 30 kg net. The sacks can be delivered

on pallets covered by shrinkable plastic.

Preparation of the glue mix

Mixing ratio:
Prefere 4976 100 pbw
Water 100 pbw
Hardener Prefere 5909 60 pbw

A mechanical mixer should be used to prepare the glue mix. Half the water is
placed in the mixer, then all the resin powder is added while the mixer is
running. When a homogeneous mix is obtained, the rest of the water is
added and mixing continued. Finally, the hardener is admixed to the glue
solution.

The formulation above will normally give a glue mix with a viscosity
appropriate for application with a roller spreader (2-3000 mPa.s). If a lower
viscosity is desired, up to 30 pbw. extra water can be added.

Pot life

When protected against loss of water through evaporation the glue mix will
have a pot life of at least 24 hours, provided its temperature is below 40°C.
Unused glue kept overnight should, however, be incorporated in freshly
prepared glue mix the next day.

The veneers

The veneer surfaces must be smooth, clean and free from dust and resinous
substances. The veneers must be of uniform thickness.

Recommended veneer moisture content is 3-8 %. Higher moisture contents

increase the risk of starved joints and bleed-through. When pre-pressing is
used, the moisture content should not be below 5 %.

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 Wood & Specialty Adhesives

Glue spread

The glue is applied at a rate of 130-180 g/m² single glue line, depending on
the veneer surface quality. Thick veneers have a rougher surface and require
a higher spread rate than thin veneers. When bonding thin veneers, it is
important to keep the glue spread rate low to avoid penetration and blisters,
especially if the veneer moisture content is high. Heavier spreads than 220
g/m² single glue line should be avoided.

To prevent thickening of the glue mix on the rollers due to evaporation of

water, the rollers should be constantly supplied with fresh glue mix during
operation. When operation is interrupted, the rotation of the rollers should be
stopped.

Assembly time

Open assembly time should be kept as short as possible, in particular under

hot and dry conditions.

To prevent glue failures caused by excessive dry-out of the glue, which will
result in poor wetting of the opposite veneer, it is particularly important to
maintain a short open assembly time when the climate is hot and dry and a
low glue spread rate is used on veneers of low moisture content. If dry-out
problems cannot be avoided in this way, it is recommended to add up to 15 %
wheat flour based on powder resin and adjust the viscosity with additional
water.

Our Marketing Department will assist our customers in tailoring the glue mix
to fit the local conditions.

When cold pre-pressing is not used, some closed assembly time is recom-
mended because it usually improves the bond quality, especially with dense
woods.

Pre-pressing

Cold pre-pressing is recommended. There is evidence that pre-pressing

improves the bond quality. It also shortens the hot pressing cycle because
handling of the glued assembly and loading of the hot press are easier.

The lay-up time must be short enough to ensure that the entire glue film on
the first assembled panel is tacky enough to enable transfer of the glue to the
opposite veneer during the pre-pressing operation. More attention should be
paid to the dry-out risk when pre-pressing is used. The reason is that when
the panels are hot pressed directly, it is normally possible to melt the glue in
the hot press and achieve transfer, whereas in the cold pre-press it is not
possible to restore the fluidity of dried-out glue. Since the cold pre-pressing
entails an extended total assembly time, there is a risk that by the time the

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 Wood & Specialty Adhesives

pre-pressed panels reach the hot press, the glue has dried so far that it is no
longer possible to make it fluid. The risk of dry-out is greater when a low glue
spread rate is used on veneers of a low moisture content and when the
climate is hot and dry.

The pressures in pre-pressing should be lower than those used in hot

pressing. Experience has shown that pressures 0.2-0.3 MPa lower than
those given for hot pressing give good results. Pressing times may vary from
5 to 30 minutes according to operating conditions.

Pressure

The optimal pressure depends on the density of the veneer wood species.

The pressure should be:

0.8-1.2 MPa with species of a density below 550 kg/m3 (e.g. khaya, okoumé
(gaboon)).

1.2-1.6 MPa with species of a density above 550 kg/m3 (e.g. sapele,
meranti).

Pressing times

Pressing times are influenced by the glue spread and by the moisture con-
tent of the veneers. Precise curing schedules can consequently be
determined only by trials under actual mill conditions. Provided that the
moisture content is controlled to within recommended limits, the following
basic setting times of Prefere 4976 may be taken as a guide:

Press temperature, °C 110 120 130 140

Basic times, minutes 7 4 3 2

The basic setting times stated refer to glue line temperature only and
allowance must be made for the heat to travel from the press platen to the
innermost glue line. The numbers in the table below may be taken as a guide
to the additional times required.

Additional time per mm distance to the farthest

Press temperature
glue line
110°C 1.2 minute
120°C 1.0 minute
130°C 0.8 minutes
140°C 0.6 minutes

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 Wood & Specialty Adhesives

Example:

For a 7-ply panel with 2.5 mm inner veneers and 1.5 mm face and back
veneers, the necessary pressing time at 130°C can be calculated as follows:

Distance to the farthest glue line: (1.5 + 2x.5) mm = 6.5 mm.

Heat transfer time: 6.5x0.8 min = 5.20 min

Basic setting time at 130°C = 3.00 min

Total pressing time (5.20 + 3) = 8.20 min

Since the rate of heat transfer is dependent on the wood species and its
moisture content, the table above can only serve as a guide to the additional
times required. It is recommended to establish the pressing times by trials
under the actual conditions.

The reactivity of a phenolic resin glue falls off rapidly when the temperature
drops. The temperature at the innermost glue line should be checked from
time to time with thermocouples to check that it reaches the desired value.

To ensure complete cure of the glue lines it is recommended to hot stack the
panels for some hours after removal from the hot press.

Cleaning

Mixing and spreading equipment must be cleaned before the glue has set.
Cleaning is most easily done with warm water. Once the glue has set, it is
insoluble and must be scraped off.

Phenol-formaldehyde glue is a potential water pollutant. Glue remainders

and untreated wash water may not be discharged into public drains or
watercourses unless a permit has been obtained from the appropriate
authorities. Advice on safe handling of glue remainders and wash water can
be found in our Technical Information Leaflet No. 2E "Glue waste disposal -
Prevention of pollution".

Safety precaution

Reference is made to the Safety Data Sheet for Prefere 4976 and hardener
Prefere 5909.

When the adhesive and the hardener are mixed a chemical reaction will start.
The pH of the mixture will be in between the value for the adhesive and the
hardener. The free formaldehyde content for the adhesive will be reduced.
The acid/salt concentration of the hardener will be diluted.

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 Wood & Specialty Adhesives

When handling the adhesive, hardener and the gluemix it is recommended

that certain precautions normally taken when handling chemicals is observed.
Skin contact with the uncured glue should be avoided, since people with
particularly sensitive skin may be affected. It is recommended to wear
protective gloves, likewise eye protection where there is a risk of splashes.
Hands and forearms should be thoroughly washed with soap and warm water
at the end of the working day.

Adequate ventilation of the workshops should be maintained.

The suggestions given in these notes are based on data gained from experience and tests.
However, since operating conditions in the user's plant is beyond our control, we cannot
assume responsibility for any risks or liabilities which may result from the use of our products.

Edition January 2010 Replaces edition November 2003. AP/MW 01.2010

Technical Data Sheet for Prefere 4976, edition January 2010, page 6 of 6 pages