Characterization of Amazonic White Pitch (Protium heptaphyllum) for potential use as ‘green’ adhesive

Abstract

The plant species Protium heptaphyllum, widely found in the Amazon and northeast regions of Brazil, produces an oily resin commonly known as White Pitch (Breu Branco) (WP). The WP has been shown to have the characteristics to produce a sort of ‘green’ polymer. The aim of this study was to characterize commercially available WP resin for its chemical and mechanical properties and to assess its suitability for use as green adhesive. The WP obtained from typical Amazon market was purified and characterized for its chemical nature using GC/MS, TGA, DSC, and FTIR. The results also confirmed that the material used was indeed from P. heptaphyllum plant species. The mechanical and thermal properties were characterized, and its adhesion was measured. Adhesive shear and tensile strength of the WP bonded wood specimens were investigated using a small scale test method. The shear strength of the WP bonded wood specimens was always higher than the tensile strength, but this value was lower when compared with commercial adhesives.

Keywords:

• green materials
• characterization
• Amazon White Pitch
• bréu branco
• adhesion

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) and the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design for the use of the facilities. AKV and RKV thank the CAPES (Brazil) for the fellowships and for the PRO-ENGENHARIA program.