Tannins are still a valid candidate for future bioglues

Antonio Pizzi is a polymer and materials chemist and professor emeritus of industrial chemistry at the University of Lorraine. He has published more than 1000 research articles, and has explored a lot of different recipes for bioadhesives.

Lot of formulations

He notices that it is fashionable at the moment to talk about by adhesives, and that a lot of glue formulations are proposed. His message to fellow researchers is clear.

“You can do all the publications you want. But if it is not simple, industry will not be able to use it”, said Antonio Pizzi at a BioGlue-Centre webinar.

He started his career 60 years ago investigating the possibilities with tannins, and tannins is still a possible way to go for the future. It has been used for instance in South Africa, Chile and Japan and works well in glues for boards and beams.

Sustainable source

Antonio Pizzi points to the fact that tannins can be extracted from cultivated tree species such as spruce, pine and fir.

Today, the supply of tannins are limited, and the industry need a material that is widely available. Only about 220 000 tons of tannin is produced per year, but according to Antionio Pizzie millions of tons of tannins could be extracted. The forest company Södra recently announced that they will start a production line in Sweden.