Pressed wood products, such as furniture and cabinetry, are typically made with formaldehyde-based resins. These resins present two significant drawbacks - 1)there is significant concern about the health effects of formaldehyde and 2)formaldehyde resins are made from petroleum-derived products, a naturally limited resource that contributes to carbon output. There is also a growing global concern around ready availability of wood and wood fibers which has driven the industry to investigate alternative sources. E2e Material's green composite material platform represents a revolutionary opportunity to shift many products used by humanity today away from non-renewable, petroleum-based products to materials produced from annually-renewable agricultural products providing a safer, cost-effective solution with higher performance. E2e Materials is proposing the development of affordable soy protein-based green plastic resins for use in manufacturing green composites constructed from soy protein resins and agricultural fibers such as jute, flax, and bamboo. The proposed green composites will replace pressed wood products, such as particle board, hardwood plywood paneling, oriented strand board, and medium density fiberboard. OBJECTIVES: E2e Materials is proposing the development of affordable soy protein-based green plastic resins for use in manufacturing green composites constructed from soy protein resins and agricultural fibers. The proposed green composites will replace pressed wood products, such as particle board, hardwood plywood paneling, oriented strand board, and medium density fiberboard. These pressed wood products are typically made with phenol-formaldehyde resins and urea-formaldehyde resins, which are both carcinogenic and made from non-renewable petroleum reserves. E2e's composites are made from soy protein resins - eliminating use of a carcinogen and reducing petroleum usage. In addition, the green composites will use easily renewable fibers such as jute, flax, kenaf, and bamboo instead of wood fibers which have a long growing cycle. The proposed manufacturing process is water-based and non-hazardous, and, the proposed green composites have the advantage of superior strength-to-weight ratios over pressed wood products enabling a reduction in material usage. This reduction in materials results in a cost savings. The target objectives of this project will involve: formulating and characterizing a series of green resins; developing and characterizing engineered green composites; and matching the engineered green composites with building material specifications
