Patent Sold to Slovenian Industry
[Translate to English:] Testiranje čvrstosti površine ivernih plošč
A group of researchers from the Laboratory for Polymer Chemistry and Technology under the management of Dr Matjaž Kunaver has been engaged for years with liquefying wood and with using the products in various industrial processes. In their research, they are cooperating with the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, the Department of Wood Technology. In 2010, they successfully obtained the Slovenian patent SI 22912 and simultaneously filed it at the European Patent Office. The patent protects the process of liquefying wood and the production of glue for the industrial manufacture of particle boards.
The essential benefits of the innovation are the reduction of formaldehyde emissions from particle board by up to 50% and the use of renewable sources for the glue, which is made from raw materials from crude oil. The mechanical properties of the boards remain the same or are even better.
Considering the large stock of wood biomass in Slovenia (59% of wooded areas) and considering the estimated consumption of glue in the production of particle boards (1.2 million tons per year), this use of wood is innovative and beneficial for Slovenia, since there is no similar product on the global market.
The National Institute of Chemistry sold the patent with all its rights to Gozdno gospodarstvo Postojna, d.o.o. (GGP Postojna), which plans to manufacture liquefied wood and sell the glue for particle boards and similar products in the wood and furniture industry.