The influence of the physico-chemical parameters of the resin on the formation of phenoplast

Phenolic resins were first obtained more than 100 years ago. However, interest in this product of organic chemistry does not fade, which is reflected in a large number of research papers. The reason for the popularity of products based on phenolic resins is their excellent operational characteristics and low cost. However, the most problematic issue remains in releasing incompletely reacted initial components (which are toxic substances), during operation. For this reason, new raw materials are being considered for development of phenolic resins, such as involvement of plant products, which undoubtedly improve the operational characteristics of the materials obtained, as well as contribute to the expansion of their fields of application. The paper describes the synthesis of phenol-formaldehyde resin of the resol type in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. The main characteristics of the process have been determined in order to obtain a high-quality product that meets regulatory standards. The properties of the resulting product have been investigated. The curing technique of the obtained phenol-formaldehyde resin has been studied. Based on experimental data, the type and optimal amount of a hardener have been determined. In order to select a foaming agent, the analysis of foaming multiplicity and its comparison with the kinetics of curing has been carried out. Finally, a formula of the foamed material based on phenolic resin has been developed.