Practical for particle board?
Particle board remains the basis for most cheaper furniture, and while some particle board already uses formaldehyde-free glue, “We want to make it better, with higher strength, especially in wet conditions,” Frihart says. Charles Goodyear did not have to integrate vulcanization into a rubber industry – which barely existed — but today, a new adhesive “has to fit into the way the product is being made commercially,” Frihart says, “and we continue to work on modifying the adhesive to fit better individual plants.” Frihart says the soy story echoes a larger, but behind-the-scenes evolution in materials. “Because we better understand materials, and how to manipulate them, we keep figuring out ways to make them work better, even if they are not labeled new-and-improved.”