Bis- 4-hydroxyphenyl -methane

Irritates skin, mucous membranes and eyes. Ecotoxicity data are not yet available. 

Due to its moderate antimicrobial activity the compound has not gained importance as a microbicide in practice. 

Microbicide group (substance class) Chemical name Chemical formula Structural formula 

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Mahabadi and Alexandru [74] have published data on thermotropic copolycarbonates of biphenol (BP) and diethylene glycol (DEG) with hydroquinone (HQ), methyl hydroquinone (MHQ), f-butyl HQ, oxydiphenol (ODP) or bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane (DPM) or bisphenol A. The tabulated compositions and calculated MI values are recorded with the published data on mesophase transitions in Table 4. Mesophases appear only to be present when the MI score >10.1. However, the gap in values between mesogenic materials and non-mes-ogenic materials in the three series reported is about +1 and therefore it cannot be claimed on this evidence alone that polycarbonates have a similar critical value to polyesters and polyamides. 

Limitations on polymer molecular weights may be expected when the aromatic dihydroxy compound or the corresponding alkali metal derivative contain strong electron-withdrawing groups. This may result in lower molecular weight polymers or slow reaction rates. Therefore, the aromatic dihydroxy compound should be a rather weakly acidic phenol, such as 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propane, l,l-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenyl ethane, and bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-methane. 

Table 63. Minimum Inhibition Concentrations (MIC) of Bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-methane in Nutrient Agar...

From 1 January 2006 the EC regulation permits trade in the use of materials and articles containing 2,2-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) propane bis(2,3-epoxypropyl) ether (Badge) throughout the EU. It also re-affirms the ban on the use of BFDCE (Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane bis (2,3-epoxypropyl)ethers) and NOCE (Novolac glycidyl ethers). 

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