Wood-based resins and other bio-based binders for the production of mineral wool

The traditional binder used in mineral wool is phenolic resin that makes mineral wool insulations reliable and efficient. The toxicity and health hazards of phenol and formaldehyde are becoming more and more pressing, and the industrial production needs to focus on safer precursors. Several formulations of bio-based binders for mineral wool have been developed, meeting the challenge of performing equally well as conventional binders. Technical lignins, due to their intrinsic structure and their abundance, are good candidates for future industrial adhesives. Carbohydrates are other class of biomaterials widely used in both research and patent formulations toward mineral wool binders. Proteins and cardanol are still largely unknown precursors, although they have hidden potentials for reliable binder systems. Even if conventional binders are not replaced completely with bio-based alternatives today, a partial use is already a step forward in the right direction - toward future biorefinery-based industries and knowledge-based bioeconomies in general.