Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol.35, No.15, 3275-3285, 1997
Polymer Structure of Cured Alkaline Phenol-Formaldehyde Resol Resins with Respect to Resin Synthesis Mole Ratio and Oxidative Side Reactions
A wood adhesive-type phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resol resin synthesized with a typical formaldehyde to phenol mol ratio of 2.10 was thoroughly cured and studied by the solid-state crosspolarization/magic angle spinning C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MASNMR) spectroscopy. The methylene group/phenol mol ratio values found were between 1.35 and 1.46, close to the value of a completely cured PF polymer structure. The amount of formaldehyde emitted during resin curing was very small. Other formaldehyde-derived groups determined from CP/MASNMR spectra and relatively high levels of oxidation products of formaldehyde determined from water extracts of cured resin raised the total formaldehyde-derived groups/phenol mol ratio value to close to that of the synthesis mol ratio. Technological implications of these findings are discussed.
Keywords:NMR-SPECTROSCOPY