Mass timber and engineered wood products are growing in demand due to their ability to reduce environmental impact compared to traditional building materials. However, their success depends largely on the adhesives that bond them together and their ability to possess proper performance and processing efficiencies needed for:
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam
Wooden I-joists and structural finger joints
Use this guide to help you assess performance and processing needs and understand why Bostik’s ISOSET™ solutions make it easy to manufacture mass timber and engineered wood products that meet your requirements.
Bostik’s Mass Timber and Engineered Wood Solutions
The Right Adhesives for Your Products
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Adhesive performance and processing needs can vary based on your product. For CLT, glulam, wood i-joist and structural finger joint products, consider an adhesive that offers:
Assess Your Product Performance Needs
Assess Your Performance Needs
Consider your Processing Needs
ISOSETTM MAX for Mass Timber Products
ISOSETTM MAX for Engineered Wood Products
Why Work with Bostik
This will help ensure the products remain firmly intact during production, transport and installation and meet required building codes*.
In mass timber and engineered wood products, it's important for an adhesive to be formulated with sufficient heat and fire resistance to meet PRG-320 and ANSI-405 standards. This means its thermal stability capabilities help it maintain bond strength in high temperatures and not cause the product to fail.
HIGH STRENGTH
HEAT AND FIRE RESISTANCE
Environmental protection includes protection against moisture and temperature extremes. This adhesive performance feature will help reduce potential damage likelihood, such as warping, delamination or degradation that could lead to reduced bond strength or product failure.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Adhesives can play a role in helping you efficiently manufacture mass timber or engineered wood products. Consider how the adhesive can impact:
Consider Your Processing Needs
Production Speeds
Adhesives impact how quickly your products can move through production lines. Consider an adhesive that offers:
Customized open assembly times to optimize process robustness and productivity
Room temperature application to shorten cure time and reduce associated energy consumption
Adhesives that are compatible with multiple wood species can help improve line speeds and efficiency
For finger joint adhesive needs, it’s beneficial to work with a supplier that offers a broad portfolio, as that can help ease logistics for you and the adhesives can be formulated to work together efficiently, when needed.
Production COMPLEXITIES
Adhesives that are curable with ambient temperature help reduce energy consumption, since heat is not required. As a result, this can help reduce overall facility costs.
With the ability to use one adhesive technology on multiple wood substrates, you can make the most of your wood supply to ease material costs and utilize wood that would otherwise be scrapped. Further, choosing adhesive solutions that are compatible with your current equipment helps reduce investment costs.
Production COsts
PRG-320 Standard for Performance-Rated Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)
ANSI 405
ASTM D2559
ASTM D1151
D7247
CSA0112.9; B2 Creep
ASTM D1183
CSA 0177 Small-scale CLT burn
PRG-320 Annex B Full-Scale Compartment Fire Test
CSA 0112.9
Withstands swelling
Helps product maintain structural integrity
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
HEAT AND FIRE RESISTANCE
Passes PRG 320 self-insulating tests
Withstands extensive burn events under practical loaded conditions
Increases ability to bond small wood pieces
Extends the product’s lifespan
HIGH STRENGTH
This single-component, moisture cure technology is designed to enhance your CLT and glulam products. Our formulations provide nominal assembly times between 7 to 80 minutes. ISOSET™ MAX meets North American industry code and burn requirements such as PRG320*. Further, our domestic supply of this urethane solution can help to simplify your logistics. In particular, our ISOSET™ MAX products offer:
Why Use ISOSET™ MAX for Mass Timber Products
Reduces energy consumption due to ambient cure and no post-cure heating needed
FAST CURING by utilizing moisture from wood and environment
Specific open times according to your production needs
Allows for reduced press times, maximizing productivity
Bostik offers decades of product performance and processing expertise with its portfolio of ISOSET™ solutions, helping address demands for CLT, glulam, wooden I-joists and finger joints.
INTRODUCING ISOSET TM
Appears transparent in between wood pieces to maintain overall aesthetics
Color neutrality by providing a wood-colored bond line
Wood substrate compatibility
with SPF, Douglas fir and Southern Yellow Pine
Enables expanded substrate options
North American supply availability
Eases supply for fast local delivery times and reduced logistical complexities
CLT Specifications That ISOSET™ MAX Meets
ANSI A190.1 Standard for Structural Glued Laminated Timber (GLULAM)
ANSI 405
CSA 0122 Standard for Structural Glued Laminated Timber
CSA 0112.9
Glulam Specifications That ISOSET™ MAX Meets
ISOSET™ UX-100 series adhesives are a two-part system based on 100% reactive polyurethane adhesive blended with conventional ISOSET™ emulsion. This system offers fast green strength and full cure times, while providing excellent bonding properties. ISOSET™ UX-100 series adhesives are used on structural finger joints and wood I-joists.
ISOSET™ Polyurethane Emulsion Polymer (PEP)
North American supply availability
Eases supply for fast local delivery times and reduced logistical complexities
Appears transparent in between wood pieces to maintain overall aesthetics
Color neutrality by providing a wood-colored bond line
Wood substrate VERSATILITY
with OSB, laminated veneer lumber (LVL), SPF and additional wood
Enables expanded substrate options
Helps provide stability to soft woods used in EWP products
Moisture and solvent resistance
Stringent fire testing including self-insulating tests
Maintains performance during ANSI-405 burn tests under practical load conditions
Helps with long-term durability
HIGH STRENGTH for proof loading
Our ISOSET™ adhesives for engineered wood products are emulsion polymer isocyanate (EPI), polyurethane emulsion polymer (PEP) and MAX (one-component urethane). To better understand which is right for you, we recommend assessing your performance needs and working with a Bostik expert directly.
Why Use ISOSET™ EPI, PEP and MAX for Engineered Wood Products
Full cure in 8 to 24 hours at room temperature
Reduces energy consumption due to ambient cure and no post-cure heating needed
APPLICATION METHOD
CURING TECHNIQUES
Extrusion
Roll Coating (for laminated panel products)
Cold press
Hot press
RF cure
Click on the image to learn more about what ISOSET offers for:
I-Joists
FINGER JOINTS
BUTT JOINT
High bond strength
Neutral wood-colored bond line
Fast cure rate
Tension strength testing:
Average 8,300 PSI
Type 5 & 6 Failure Mode
*Testing conducted by independent third party
Bostik has experience with and understands the end-use performance demands of construction products, including mass timber and engineered wood. With our on-site lab support and expertise, we work with you to develop formulations that address the needs of your specific product including:
Product quality enhancements
New substrate evaluations
Adhesive technology recommendations
Technical Service
Our team is here to support you when issues arise on the production line. We will visit your facility to ensure our technologies provide optimal performance and processing with:
Production line efficiency improvements
Adhesive-related equipment selection assistance
Troubleshooting
Why Work With Bostik
*Refer to “CLT Specifications That ISOSET™ MAX Meets” for specific building codes
**Softwood Lumber Board. (2022). Basics of Wood’s Carbon Footprint.
Bostik’s ISOSET™ technologies are low VOC, 100% reactive solutions, helping to enable end-use applications reduce carbon emissions. Our finger-joint formulations also contribute to utilizing smaller sections of lumber, reducing material waste.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
ISOSET™ Emulsion Polymer Isocyanate (EPI)
These adhesives use a two-part emulsion polymer isocyanate technology to produce bonds with excellent creep, shear and tensile properties as well as high durability and resistance to moisture and humidity. They have been specified for engineered wood, such as I-joist, glulam, LVL, vertical studs and structural insulated panels (SIPs).
ISOSET™ MAX adhesives are single-component, moisture-cure polyurethane adhesives that are solvent and formaldehyde free and possess excellent durability for CLT and glulam face laminating applications.
In particular, our ISOSET products offer:
ISOSET™ MAX