Chemical and anatomical study of Gleditsia triacanthos to identify opportunities for wood and non-wood uses

In Uruguay and neighbouring countries, Gleditsia triacanthos, known as honey locust, is an exotic tree species categorized as invasive; it produces severe ecological impact as it displaces native species, changing the structure of the native forest community. It is widely distributed, making it extremely difficult to control. One way to mitigate its negative impact is to identify opportunities to use it by revaluating its biological products. This work aims to study the applicability of this species as a source of both combustible and non-wood products, transforming it from a problem to a resource. In order to do this, the heat capacity, chemical composition and anatomical description of its wood was determined. Working on previous analysis of its extractives, autoclave extraction using water as a solvent was assayed in order to improve performance in a scalable and sustainable way. Polyphenols extracted by way of an adhesive for timber products were finally added, partially substituting petroleum derivatives. Extraction was improved by almost 20%, while the use on the adhesive showed promising results.