Tannery row – The story of some natural and synthetic wood adhesives

Abstract

Tannin adhesives are a relatively old but limited speciality which has become again topical with the very marked environment-friendly outlook of wood science at the beginning of the new century. Although the lecture will start by intermingling the technical experience of the author in this field mainly with some humorous stories on the early and not so early beginnings of this speciality, this will only be a brief introduction to more recent scientific/technical developments on mainly synthetic thermosetting adhesives, although natural adhesives will not be forgotten. The lecture will also relate in a very brief form, and without being limiting, some of the author's developments in synthetic (and some natural) resins wood adhesives, and in other fields of wood science and wood technology which might have or have had an impact on the advancement of this field.