3. How can you improve your process?
The main advantage of the first two methods is the superior quality of the adhesive. The resin and hardener are homogeneously mixed before being sprayed onto the chips, securing good bonding. The drawback to these methods is that premature reaction can occur between the resin and hardener causing build-up in the production streams and resulting in downtime.
Separate spraying allows for better production conditions as it eliminates the potential for unwanted build-up of the adhesive. However, the resultant quality of the adhesive is poorer than that of the two first methods, as mixing of the resin and hardener is not optimal.
With all three methods of application of the adhesive (pre-mixing, inline mixing, separate spraying), Exilva has shown advantages when it is introduced to the adhesive system.
Exilva® as a rheology additive enables better spraying due to its strong shear thinning behaviour. Owing to its high viscosity at rest, it modifies the wetting of the wood chips by preventing the adhesive system from penetrating too quickly into the wood chip. A better distribution of the adhesive system, as well as better mixing between the resin and the hardener are therefore, achieved securing good bonding.