New research by scientists at Grupo LEPAMAP from the University of Girona, Spain, and the Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia, on the use of cellulosic nanofiber (CNF) from organic sources such as corn used in adhesive in fiberboard to create "all-lignocellulosic products" is the subject of a new abstract made available by Science Direct, Amsterdam, Netherlands, online earlier this month. From a sustainability standpoint as it relates to the industry, this type of advancement represents a major step towards achieving absolutely safe biodegradability with a fully organic product. Some of the current synthetic adhesives in the fibers contain chemicals that some environmentalists are contending may create certain health hazards.

Highlights of the experiment include: 

• CNF addition improved the quality of fiberboards made from corn biomass
• The incorporation of CNF by 2 wt% is the optimum quantity
• CNF reinforcement is a good alternative to synthetic resin.