Manasseh Agbedam: Lignin-Based Two-Component Polyurethane Adhesive for Mass Timber Application
College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Manasseh Agbedam shares results of his work under Dr. Mojgan Nejad’s developing and testing mass timber adhesives and coatings made from lignin.
Polyurethane adhesives play a crucial role in construction, but their production comes at a significant environmental cost; over 700,000 metric tons of CO₂ are released annually due to the use of 210,000 tons of conventional polyols.
During the Michigan Mass Timber Update 2024, Manasseh Tetteh Agbedam, a PhD student in the MSU Department of Forestry, highlighted the potential of lignin—a byproduct of the forest products and agricultural industries—as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based components of adhesives currently used in commercial mass timber products.
Lignin, a biodegradable, less carbon-intensive option, is even showing better adhesion and has the potential to be a significantly less expensive alternative to what manufacturers are currently using.
Is your company interested in discovering the advantages of MSU’s lignin research to make your products more sustainable? Click Here.
About the MSU Innovation Center:
The MSU Innovation Center combines research partnerships, technology transfer, and startup support for MSU faculty who aim to see their research applied to make the world a better place.
Composed of Business Connect, MSU Technologies, and Spartan Innovations, the MSU Innovation Center aims to amplify the impact of faculty research and drive economic growth while positively impacting society to solve real-world challenges with cutting-edge ideas.
Through mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships with the private sector, we connect MSU faculty with companies for corporate-sponsored research collaborations. We also play a key role in facilitating the commercialization and public use of technologies and copyrightable materials, moving MSU’s innovations from the lab to the marketplace. Importantly, we provide significant support for faculty entrepreneurs in establishing startup companies based on technologies developed at MSU.
