Final answer:
The components that bind engineered wood products and need only heat to degrade are resins (d). These resins create strong bonds that enhance the structural integrity of engineered wood such as plywood and particleboard that are essential in the lumber industry and in composite materials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The materials that bind engineered wood products and require only heat to break down are d) Resins. Engineered wood is made by combining wood chips, veneers, sawdust, or other forms of wood together using a binder, often in the form of a polymer resin. These resins are part of a larger group of substances known as polymers, which have a capacity to form strong and durable bonds between wood pieces, allowing the manufacture of large sheets, beams, or columns with improved properties over solid lumber.
The lumber industry efficiently uses all parts of the log, and materials like sawdust and wood chips, which are byproducts of the milling process, are utilized to make engineered wood products like plywood and particleboard. The transportation of neatly stacked lumber and engineered wood is much more efficient compared to raw logs, making the entire process cost-effective.
Composite materials, which include engineered wood, typically consist of a matrix that acts as a binder, like resins, and a reinforcement, which enhances the physical properties of the matrix. These combinations result in materials that exhibit characteristics which are not found in their individual components.