Full as well as half generations of dendritic poly(amido amine)s (PAMAMs) were introduced onto urea-formaldehyde (UF) wood adhesive system as modifiers to increase its stability and enhance the performance of the bonded wood joints with it. The effect of the modifiers on the physical properties and mechanical performance was discussed on the light of gel times, curing exotherms using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infra-red (IR), and shear strength measurements.

Different generations of hydroxy-terminated dendritic poly(amidoamine) (GnAOH) with ethylenediamine as a core were prepared by successive alternative addition of methylacrylate and the core up to the third generation while employing ethanolamine only in the last step of every full generation. The different generations prepared were used as modifiers for urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. The enhanced durability and stabilizing effect of the (GnAOH)s along with the reduced levels of free formaldehyde and improved mechanical performance of wood joints glued with the modified resins are discussed.

In the sodium bisulfite–soda lime glass initiating system, crude and true grafting yields increased with increasing ratio of methyl methacrylate to cellulose up to a limit; beyond this limiting value, grafting yields decreased due to the increase of the rate of sodium bisulfite‐monomer addition over that of polymerization. Limitation was also achieved on increasing the glass to cellulose ratio through increased termination rates by coupling and disproportionation reactions, as the free radicals are increased. In addition, a limiting value was reached with increasing sodium bisulfite concentration; this may be related to the formation of a nonfunctioning disulfite ion at the expense of bisulfite radicals at high concentrations of sodium bisulfite. The temperature plays a role in this initiating system. Maximum rates of conversion and grafting were achieved at the ceiling temperature. Dissociation of the sodium bisulfite, which decreases with temperature, also has an effect.