Ultrasonication Technique: A Method for Dispersing Nanoclay in Wood Adhesives

The efficiency of ultrasonication technique to disperse nanoclay in polyvinyl acetate (PVA) was examined. A hydrophilic nanoclay was added to PVA, and its effects on bond strength of wood joints were determined. The results of bond strength measured on block shear tests showed that nanoclay increased the bond strength of wood joints, especially in humid conditions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) proved that it can be used to examine the quality of nanoclay dispersion in a matrix very precisely. The results of this study showed that ultrasonication technique is efficient in mixing nanoclay with the PVA matrix.