Phenol → Formaldehyde

Participants

Reaction Steps

The process of this invention relates to the preparation of a water-soluble phenol-formaldehyde resole resin. A base-catalyzed condensation of the phenol and the aldehyde is typically used to prepare the resin. The reaction, which is exothermic, is initiated after mixing the phenol and the aldehyde by addition of the catalyst. The proportion of phenol to the aldehyde is selected to yield a resole-type resin (stoichiometric excess of formaldehyde) when formaldehyde and phenol are used, the mole ratio of formaldehyde to phenol preferably being from about 2.5:1 to 4.2:1, and more preferably from about 3.2:1 to 4.0:1. Preferably, an aqueous mixture of formaldehyde and phenol is maintained at a first temperature of from about 40° C. to 50° C. as a basic polymerization catalyst is added.

Provenance & Evidence