In situ bacterial assay for two plywood adhesives

Reports of rapid delamination of Asian (lauan) plywood substrate used in the Construction of fiberglass boats prompted this study to investigate the potential for bacterial degradation of melamine-fortified, urea-formaldehyde resin. Since Douglas-fir plywood bonded with phenol-formaldehyde had not shown similar delamination in comparable boats, it was compared to the lauan plywood using an American Plywood Association (APA) bacterial test. Results of the tests showed no significant differences in total heterotrophic bacteria from the glueline regions of Douglas-fir or lauan. Shear testing revealed consistently lower strength vales for the lauan compared to Douglas-fir, but no differences as a consequence of wet-chamber bacterial exposure. This standardized test may have excluded marine bacteria with a preference for melamine-fortified, urea-formaldehyde resin.

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