Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Standard Test Method ASTM D 7998-19 for the Cohesive Strength Development of Wood Adhesives
Published on: May 17, 2020
Evaluation of Functionalized Birch Bark Extracts in Epoxy Thermosets
Heather M LaFrance1,2, John D Chea1,2, Emre Kinaci1,2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Rd., Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States.
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Birch bark, often discarded or burned as a low-grade fuel in the pulp and paper industry, contains valuable compounds with significant potential as biobased polymer precursors. Among these are triterpenoids such as betulin, betulinic acid, and lupeol, which comprise roughly 10-40% of the dried bark mass, alongside lignocellulosic and suberin fractions. In this work, crude birch bark extract (BBE) was extracted and used directly as a polymer precursor material. Epoxidized BBE was cured with a range of biobased and petroleum-derived amines, including furan-derived difuran diamine (DFDA). The resulting thermoset polymers demonstrated high extents of cure (greater than 99%) and room-temperature storage moduli, glass transition temperatures, and thermal stabilities comparable to those of petroleum-derived epoxy systems.
