Preparation and properties of a novel decorative base paper for formaldehyde-free adhesive impregnation

Abstract Formaldehyde-free adhesives are gaining attention due to their compatibility with green production methods. Decorative base paper (DBP) is known for its physical strength and printability and has a high ability for absorbing aldehyde-free adhesives for impregnation. In this paper, DBP was prepared with TiO 2 and SiO 2 combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), where the amount of TiO 2 was reduced in the pulp process. The prepared DBP was impregnated by aldehyde-free adhesive and hot-pressed on wood-based panels. The results showed that upon SiO 2 coating, the surface smoothness of base paper increased by 132.3 %, whereas the tensile strength increased by 33.6 %. Furthermore, the colour density of cyan, magenta, yellow and black colours increased by 75.4 %, 99.2 %, 51.9 % and 90.5 %, respectively. The surface properties like surface bonding strength and wear resistance of the covered wood-based panels were found to satisfy the standard requirements, which indicates the products can be used for furniture products.