Guayule Resin-Based Adhesive

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Modified Guayule Resins and Resin/Soy Protein Blends for Adhesives Tech ID: UA21-025 Invention: This technology is a guayule resin-based adhesive that provides superior water resistance over existing formaldehyde-free wood adhesives. A blend of modified guayule resin with soy protein forms a natural adhesive with improved water resistance over existing soy protein adhesives. Background: Guayule, a plant that grows in the Southwest United States and Mexico, is a promising source of hypoallergenic natural latex rubber, requiring little water to cultivate. However, extracting latex from Guayule requires processing the entire plant, leaving most of the plant’s biomass as a byproduct. This invention supports the need to find valuable new uses for the byproducts of the latex extraction process to increase the overall economics of guayule as a sustainable crop for desert environments. In recent years, soy protein-based adhesives have become popular alternatives to petroleum-based adhesives. This technology leverages this trend by repurposing guayule resin, one of the byproducts of the latex extraction process.