SUSBOARD: Developing 100% bio-based adhesives for sustainable woods

Particleboard and medium density fibreboard are among the most widely used wood products in Europe, from furniture, flooring to walls and construction applications.

Yet behind these everyday materials lies a major sustainability challenge.

Most particleboards and medium density fibreboards still rely on fossil-based adhesives containing formaldehyde. SUSBOARD is addressing this challenge by developing a fully bio-based and formaldehyde-free adhesive system capable of replacing conventional binders used in industrial particleboard and medium density fibreboard manufacturing.

The ambition is not simply to create a greener adhesive, but to prove that bio-based alternatives can deliver the same technical performance, industrial scalability and cost competitiveness required by the wood panel industry.

Building 100% bio-based adhesives

SUSBOARD builds on the results of the previous SUSBIND project, which successfully replaced more than 80% of fossil-based raw materials in wood adhesives.

The remaining challenge was the amine component.

SUSBOARD closes this gap by introducing a fully bio-based amine based on polylysine and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)-activated sugars, enabling the transition towards a completely bio-based adhesive formulation.

This development is supported by across the value chain, including raw material suppliers, chemical companies, research institutes and industrial board manufacturers, to ensure that innovation is aligned with real manufacturing environments.

From lab results to industrial reality

SUSBOARD’s core objective is demonstrating that bio-based adhesives can perform under real industrial conditions.

To achieve this, the project evaluates production parameters such as the press temperature and pressure, curing time and wood moisture content.

These variables directly influence adhesive curing behaviour and ultimately determine board performance.

Laboratory-scale particleboards and medium density fibreboard panels produced using SUSBOARD adhesives are tested according to European standards, including:

• Internal bond strength;
• Bending strength;
• Thickness swelling; and
• Water absorption.

The early results are promising.

Particleboard trials already exceed the EN 312 requirements for internal bond strength, while medium density fibreboard tests show strong performance in both structural integrity and dimensional stability, surpassing reference boards based on conventional urea-formaldehyde systems.

This is a significant development because carbohydrate-based adhesives have historically faced challenges related to slower curing behaviour and industrial processing speed.

SUSBOARD suggests these barriers can be overcome through formulation design and process optimisation.

Safer materials for indoor environments

Beyond carbon reduction, SUSBOARD also addresses growing concerns around indoor air quality and exposure to volatile organic compounds.

Formaldehyde-based adhesives remain a major source of emissions in wood-based products. By reducing formaldehyde from the adhesive system, SUSBOARD contributes to healthier indoor environments and safer working conditions throughout the manufacturing process.

This aligns closely with several major European policy objectives, including the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

The project also integrates safe and sustainable by design principles into material development and evaluation. Beyond mechanical performance, SUSBOARD assesses the environmental and health profile of its materials through emission and toxicity testing, ensuring the developed solutions are both safe and sustainable.

Redefining the future of wood-based materials

As Europe accelerates industrial decarbonisation, SUSBOARD highlights how material innovation can support climate goals and industrial transformation.

The project demonstrates that sustainable manufacturing is not only about replacing fossil-based resources, but about redesigning industrial materials, making them safer, circular and compatible with large-scale production.

For the wood panel sector, this represents a major transition: from conventional formaldehyde-based systems toward fully bio-based adhesives capable of supporting the next generation of low carbon construction and furniture manufacturing.

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