The pyrolysis mechanism of phenol formaldehyde resin

• Published in: Polymer degradation and stability Vol. 97; no. 8; pp. 1527 - 1533
• Main Authors: Jiang, Haiyun, Wang, Jigang, Wu, Shenqing, Yuan, Zhiqing, Hu, Zhongliang, Wu, Ruomei, Liu, Qilong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon; carbon dioxide; carbon monoxide; Ethylene; Exact sciences and technology; formaldehyde; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; free radicals; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; heat treatment; methanol; Methyl alcohol; Methylene; phenol; Phenol formaldehyde; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymers; Pyrolysis; Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry; Pyrolysis mechanism; Resins; Scission; Technology of polymers; temperature; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry; Phenol formaldehyde; Pyrolysis mechanism; Heat treatment; Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass; Temperature effect; Polymer; spectrometry; Phenoplasts; Mechanism
• ISSN: 0141-3910; 1873-2321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.04.016

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the structure of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin pyrolyzed at different temperatures, and pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry was used to observe the volatiles. A pyrolysis mechanism has been consequently deduced, and several previous ambiguities have been clarified. The occurrence of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide is attributed to the oxidization of methylene. However, not oxidization, but methylene scission is mainly responsible for the decomposition of PF resin. At the same time, methylene radicals combine with other small molecules and form some volatiles such as ethylene and methanol. With the elevation of heat treatment temperature, PF resin is progressively transformed into amorphous carbon by pyrolysis and polycyclic reactions.