Claims:We claim:
1. A composition for treating wet peeled veneer of a palm species, the composition comprising of at least one synthetic resin; a catalyst; an organic solvent ; an additive; and at least one surfactant.
2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin is selected from the group comprising of urea formaldehyde, urea-melamine formaldehyde, melamine –urea formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, modified phenol formaldehyde, novolacs, phenol resorcinol formaldehyde .
3. The composition according to claim1, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group comprising of ammonium chloride, potassium aluminium sulphate, para toluene sulphonic acid, hydrogen peroxide, ethyl formate, propyl formate, tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxides, magnesium oxides, alkoxylated melamine formaldehyde resins, benzoxazine, propylene carbonate.
4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group comprising of butanol, and methanol.
5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant is a nonyl-phenol based hydroxyl compound.
6. A method for treating the wet peeled veneer of a palm species strength, the method comprising:
pre treating at least one wet peeled veneer with a resin;
drying the pre-treated wet peeled veneer at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined duration of time;
treating the dried veneer with a glue mixture; and
hot pressing at least two glued veneers at a predetermined pressure to obtain a treated wet peeled layered veneer.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of pretreatment with the resin facilitates impregnation of two wet peeled veneers.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the treatment with glue mixture enable low-temperature curing of the veneer.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the temperature of curing is in the range of about 90oC to about 95oC.
10. A wet peeled veneer as obtained by the method of claim 5-9, wherein the veneer has a high screw withdrawal strength.

Bangalore NARENDRA BHATTA HL
September 19, 2016 (INTELLOCOPIAIP SERVICES)
AGENT FOR APPLICANT

, Description:A COMPOSITION AND A METHOD FOR TREATING WET PEELED VENEER OF A PALM SPECIES

FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention generally relates to the field of palm wood composites and more particularly to a composition and a method for treating wet peeled veneer of a palm species.

BACKGROUND
Oil palm tree is originated from the tropical rain forests of West Africa and introduced into Malaysia as an ornamental tree. Oil palm trunk, herein known as OPT is a solid waste obtained in large quantities due to the frequent fall of the oil palm trees.
In the current scenario, application of oil palm trunk is restricted to manufacturing of low quality packing materials and interior plywood backing. The oil palm trunk also finds application in production of particleboard, medium density fibre board, and mineral-bonded particleboard, block board, and cement board. The reasons for restricted application of oil palm trunk are great variations in the physical and mechanical properties of the OPT solid wastes. The physical and mechanical properties include inconsistency of vascular fibers in the palm species and low screw-withdrawal strength of the oil palm trunk. There are various methods available in the art for controlling the OPT solid wastes. One such method known in the art discloses treatment of solid oil palm trunk with low-molecular weight phenol formaldehyde resin. One of the significant disadvantages of the method is impregnation of low weight phenol formaldehyde resin on the dried oil palm trunk does not increase the screw–holding strength of the dried oil palm trunk.
Another method discloses a compreg method for treating dried veneers of the palm species. The method includes a) providing dried veneers derived from oil palm trunk; b) applying adhesive on the dried veneers; c) pressing layers of dried veneers together to form a base board comprising laminated dried veneers. One of the significant disadvantages of the above mentioned method is veneers are dried in a dryer at temperature of 130oC -150oC. Thus, there is a need for a method for treating the palm wood species at low-temperature and increasing the screw withdrawal strength of the palm wood species.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention provides a composition for treating wet peeled veneer of a palm species, the composition comprising of at least one synthetic resin, a catalyst, an organic solvent, an additive and at least one surfactant.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method for treating the wet peeled veneer of a palm species. The method includes, pre treating the wet peeled veneer with a resin, drying the pre-treated wet peeled veneer at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined duration of time, treating the dried veneer with a glue mixture on the dried veneer and hot pressing the glued veneers at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Various embodiments of the invention provide a composition and a method for treating the wet peeled veneer of a palm species, the composition comprising of at least one synthetic resin, a catalyst, an organic solvent, an additive and at least one surfactant. The one synthetic resin is at least one resin selected from the group including but not limited to urea formaldehyde, urea-melamine formaldehyde, melamine –urea formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, modified phenol formaldehyde, novolacs, phenol resorcinol formaldehyde; and mixtures thereof.
A catalyst is added to the synthetic resin. The catalyst is selected from the group including but not limited to ammonium chloride, potassium aluminium sulphate, para toluene sulphonic acid, hydrogen peroxide, ethyl formate, propyl formate, tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxides, magnesium oxides, alkoxylated melamine formaldehyde resins, benzoxazine, propylene carbonate. The catalyst acts as an accelerator. The composition includes an organic solvent. The organic solvent is at least one selected from the group including but not limited to butanol, methanol.
Additionally a surfactant is added to the above glue mixture. The surfactant of the composition is at least one selected from the group including but not limited to non-ionic, cationic, anionic and amphoteric surfactants. In one embodiment of the invention the surfactant is a nonyl-phenol based hydroxyl compounds.
Various embodiments of the invention also provide a method for treating the wet peeled veneer of palm species. The Oil palm trunk is a solid waste obtained in large quantities due to the frequent fall of the oil palm trees. The veneers are obtained by peeling logs of oil palm trunk longitudinally using rotary peeler. The logs consist of numerous vascular bundles embedded in the parenchyma ground tissue. The parenchyma behaves like a sponge and holds high moisture content. Due to the high moisture content, the veneers obtained are called wet peeled veneers.
Due to high moisture content, low strength, low durability, poor dimensional stability, and poor machining characteristics, wet peeled veneers are not used in manufacturing furniture’s, joineries and engineered sheets. The above mentioned problems of the wet peeled veneers are solved by treating the wet peeled veneer with the composition obtained by the method as described herein above. The pre treated wet peeled veneers are dried at a predetermined temperature and the predetermined duration of time. The drying is carried out for pre-determined time duration. Preferably, the drying is carried out for the pre-determined time 20 minutes. The drying is carried out by any of the commercially available drying equipments. In one example of the invention, the drying equipment employed is a standard multi section drier. Subsequent to drying, the glue is spread on the dried veneers. The glue spreading is carried out by any of the commercially available glue spreading equipments including but not limited to rollers, spreaders.
After the glue spreading, the layers of the glued veneers are subjected to hot pressing step. The hot pressing is carried out at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature. The hot pressing of the dried veneer is carried out at a pressure of about. The hot pressing of the dried veneer is carried out at a temperature less than 1000C. In the hot pressing step, the layers of the dried veneers are pressed to form a base board comprising of laminated layers of the dried veneers.