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The wood products industry has a long and successful history of utilizing adhesives based on renewable resources. Their performance was adequate to see us through World War II and beyond. But the tremendous postwar expansion in the petrochemical industry provided compounds for synthetic resin adhesives so inexpensively, they steadily displaced natural adhesives. When embargo threatened key petrochemicals in 1973, their availability dropped and prices increased abruptly. Industry reacted with an immediate partial return to natural adhesives. As oil's availability improved and prices became more competitive, synthetic resin adhesives again became the industry standard. With over 70% of all wood products now bonded, industry is concerned about future sources of adhesives in the event that oil supplies are again disrupted by world events. There is strong support for research into adhesives based on renewable resources with emphasis on: 1) Phenol, methanol, urea, and resorcinol-acting compounds; 2) copolymeric adhesives involving synthetic resins and natural polymers; 3) new adhesive mechanisms and substrate treatments; 4) greater exterior durability for animal and vegetable protein adhesives.