Sustainable Plywood Production: Enhancing Cardanol Formaldehyde Bio‐Resin With Nanocellulose Fibers From Sugarcane Bagasse

ABSTRACT With the rising demand for sustainable materials, the plywood industry is turning to bio‐resins as an eco‐friendlier alternative to traditional fossil‐based resins. However, the poor physio‐mechanochemical properties of the bio‐resins limit their applications. This study seeks to enhance these properties by integrating nanocellulose derived from sugarcane bagasse into cardanol formaldehyde resin. The resin was synthesized via polycondensation under acidic conditions, and nanocellulose was prepared using acidic hydrolysis. Nanocellulose was added at concentrations of 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% to create reinforced nanocomposites, which were used to fabricate plywood panels and subjected to mechanical and physical properties tests. The modified resins were subjected to chemical and morphological tests. Results revealed significant improvements, with 7% nanocellulose resin achieving a peak breaking strength of 39.52 ± 2.1 MPa, compared to 13.16 ± 1.2 MPa for unmodified resin. While 10% nanocellulose reduced strength due to over‐interaction of the nanocellulose, all concentrations above 3% exceeded the 20 MPa industry standard. Thermal stability of the nanocomposite was enhanced, with decomposition and glass transition temperatures increasing to 473°C and 453°C, respectively. These findings underscore the potential of nanocellulose‐reinforced bio‐resins as high‐performance, sustainable materials for plywood manufacturing.