High-performance, formaldehyde-free, multi-functional nitrocellulose adhesive in various environments

While nitrocellulose (NC) has been studied for over a hundred years, its adhesion properties as an adhesive in a variety of environments have not been investigated, particularly in hot/wet environments. The effects of solvents, nitrogen content, concentration, adherend, and various treatments on the adhesion performance of NC were assessed by fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and mechanical test. The results show that the nitrocellulose adhesive not only exhibits excellent adhesion to acrylic acid resin (in-plane adhesion of 5.95 MPa) and wood chips (in-plane adhesion of 3.92 MPa), but also does not need to use any substance containing harmful gases such as formaldehyde during the preparation process. The wood board bonded with the nitrocellulose adhesive can easily lift the 25 kg bucket. In addition, the nitrocellulose −ethyl acetate adhesive has good cold resistance (in-plane adhesion 2.65 MPa), heat resistance (in-plane adhesion 2.14 MPa), and moisture resistance (in-plane adhesion 2.06 MPa). The nitrocellulose binder from waste single-base gun propellant also exhibited excellent adhesion performance. Nitrocellulose adhesive shows significant commercial value and wide application potential in daily life and industrial fields.