EXTENDED WAX COMPOSITION AND COMPOSITE PANELS PREPARED THEREWITH
A wax extender may be employed in the manufacture of particle board, and oriented strand board to reduce the content of the wax in favor of a copolymer prepared by copolymerizing vinyl acetate with a hydrophobic reactive comonomer. The hydrophobic reactive comonomer may have the general formula: wherein R 1 is a hydrophobic group having from about 4 to about 25 carbons; and R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently hydrogen or a methyl group subject to the limitation that at least one of these is hydrogen.
1 . An extended wax composition, useful in preparing composite boards, the extended wax comprising a wax and a wax extender,
wherein the wax has a melting point of from about 120° F. (48.9° C.) to about 150° F. (65.6° C.),
wherein the wax extender is a polymer, copolymer or polymer blend of one or more hydrophobes selected from the group consisting of acrylates, methacrylates, polyvinyl acetates, olefins, styrenic emulsion polymers, silicones, polyesters, and combinations thereof, and
wherein the wax extender is present at a concentration, in wt % based upon the combined weight of the wax and the wax extender, of from about 1 to about 45%.
2 . The composition of claim 1 wherein the wax extender is a copolymer of vinyl acetate and one or more hydrophobes having the formula:
wherein R 1 is a hydrophobic group having from about 4 to about 25 carbons, and R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently hydrogen or a methyl group subject to the limitation that at least one of these is hydrogen. In some embodiments, R 1 is an alkyl group having from 7 to about 24 carbons.
3 . The composition of claim 1 wherein the wax extender is a copolymer of vinyl acetate and a hydrophobe selected from the group consisting of vinyl neodecanoate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, vinyl laurate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, vinyl chloride, dibutyl maleate, ethylene, and combinations thereof.
4 . The composition of claim 2 wherein the hydrophobe is present at a concentration, in a wt %, based on the weight of the vinyl acetate, from about 1 to about 90%.
5 . A method of preparing a composite board comprising introducing into a composite board manufacturing process an aqueous emulsion comprising the extended wax of claim 1 and a binder resin, wherein an amount of extended wax solids does not exceed about 5 wt % of the total weight of the composite board.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the composite board comprises wood.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the composite board is fiberboard and the amount of extended wax solids is about 0.3 to about 5 wt % based on the total weight of the fiberboard.
8 . The method of claim 6 wherein the composite board is particle board and the amount of extended wax solids is about 0.2 to about 0.75 wt % based on the total weight of the particle board.
9 . The method of claim 6 wherein the composite board is oriented strand board and the extended wax composition is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 2 wt % based on the total weight of the oriented strand board.
10 . The method of claim 5 wherein the binder resin is selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic resins, urethane resins, casein, epoxy resins, isocyanate resins, isocyanurate resins, alkyd resins, phenol formaldehyde resins, urea formaldehyde resins, amino acid-based resins, polyester resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, cellulose derivative resins, starch, oily resins, resole and combinations thereof.
11 . A composite board prepared using the extended wax composition of claim 1 .
12 . The composite board of claim 10 , wherein the composite board comprises wood.