JINAN -- A "non-added formaldehyde" polyurethane adhesive plywood continuous press automatic production line solution has been developed in China as the country puts increasing stress on green production.

The solution boasts zero formaldehyde additives during plywood production by gluing the wood with certain kind of polyurethane, and is expected to improve the production capacity of green plywood products with automation, according to global specialty chemicals producer Huntsman Corporation, which co-developed the solution with Chinese partners including China Forest Industry Design and Planning Institute.

China is the world's largest plywood producer. The country's 5,300 manufacturers in the industry produced 179 million cubic meters of plywood last year, accounting for over 50 percent of the world's total, according to Shi Feng, secretary of the China National Forest Products Industry Association.

About one-third of the total plywood are used in furniture in China, which bears much influence on consumer health, according to Liu Xuehong, Business Manager of Composite Wood Panel in APAC with Huntsman.

China is the second largest market for Huntsman, as a growing community of consumers are willing to pay more for greener products, Liu said, adding that sales of zero-aldehyde-additive in China outpaces that in the European and US markets.

The chemical giant has been investing heavily in China since its entry in the market in 1992, with a total investment worth about 15 billion yuan.