Formation and Structure
Phenol-formaldehyde resins, as a group, are formed by a step-growth polymerization reaction that can be either acid- or base-catalysed. Since formaldehyde exists predominantly in solution as a dynamic equilibrium of methylene glycol oligomers, the concentration of the reactive form of formaldehyde depends on temperature and pH.
Phenol is reactive towards formaldehyde at the ortho and para sites (sites 2, 4 and 6) allowing up to 3 units of formaldehyde to attach to the ring. The initial reaction in all cases involves the formation of a hydroxymethyl phenol:
- HOC6H5 + CH2O → HOC6H4CH2OH
The hydroxymethyl group is capable of reacting with either another free ortho or para site, or with another hydroxymethyl group. The first reaction gives a methylene bridge, and the second forms an ether bridge:
- HOC6H4CH2OH + HOC6H5 → (HOC6H4)2CH2 + H2O
The diphenol (HOC6H4)2CH2 (sometimes called a "dimer") is called bisphenol F, which is itself an important monomer in the production of epoxy resins. Bisphenol-F can further link generating tri- and tetra-and higher phenol oligomers.
- 2 HOC6H4CH2OH → (HOC6H4CH2)2O + H2O
Read more about this topic: Phenol Formaldehyde Resin
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