Processes for manufacturing engineered composite objects

Abstract

Methods for forming composite objects, wherein the methods comprise providing a plurality of material particles, applying a liquid adhesive to at least a portion of the plurality of material particles, wherein the adhesive is comprised of droplets, at least about 80% of the droplets having an average droplet diameter of about 50 to about 200 microns, to form a material/adhesive mixture, and forming the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of material particles;    applying a liquid adhesive to at least a portion of the plurality of material particles, wherein the adhesive is comprised of droplets, at least about 80% of the droplets having a droplet diameter of about 50 to about 200 microns, to form a material/adhesive mixture; and    forming the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the material particles is comprised of wood.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a majority of the material particles are comprised of wood.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least about 90% of the droplets have a droplet diameter of about 50 to about 200 microns.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least about 80% of the droplets have a droplet diameter of about 50 to about 175 microns.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least about 90% of the droplets have a droplet diameter of about 50 to about 175 microns.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least about 80% of the droplets have a droplet diameter of about 60 to about 160 microns.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises a resin.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises a component selected from the group consisting of phenolic resins, amino resins, melamine resins, urea-formaldehydes, isocyanate resins and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises an isocyanate resin.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises a phenolic resin comprising at least one phenol moiety selected from the group consisting of phenol, cresol, xylenol, p-tert-butylphenol and p-resorcinol, and at least one aldehyde selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde and furfural.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising adding a wax component prior to the forming of the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the wax component is a liquid wax contained in one or more of the droplets.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the wax component comprises a lignosulfonate-stabilized wax emulsion.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein forming the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object comprises applying heat, pressure or a combination thereof to the mixture.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein forming the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object comprises subjecting the mixture to heat sufficient to cure the liquid adhesive.  
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a wood composite object comprising: 
 providing a plurality of wood strands;    applying a liquid adhesive to at least a portion of the plurality of wood strands, wherein the adhesive is comprised of droplets, at least about 80% of the droplets having a droplet diameter of about 50 to 200 microns, to form a wood/adhesive mixture; and    forming the wood/adhesive mixture into a wood composite object.    
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a composite comprising: 
 providing a plurality of material particles;    subjecting a liquid adhesive to an ultrasonic field to form a plurality of adhesive droplets;    combining the adhesive droplets and the material particles, to form a material/adhesive mixture; and    forming the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein subjecting the liquid adhesive to the ultrasonic field comprises feeding the liquid adhesive through an ultrasonic atomizer.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the ultrasonic atomizer has an operating frequency of about 20 to about 40 kHz.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein one or more of the material particles is comprised of wood.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein a majority of the material particles are comprised of wood.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the adhesive comprises a component selected from the group consisting of phenolic resins, amino resins, melamine resins, urea-fromaldehydes, isocyanate resins and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising adding a wax component prior to the forming of the material/adhesive mixture into a composite object.