Properties of Furfuryl Alcohol

Molecular weight 98.098 g/mole Boiling point (760 mm Hg) 169.35 C Freezing point -14.6 C Specific gravity d 25 1.1296 Refractive index no 1.4850 

AHf (liq) -66.02 kcal/mole = -276.23 IcJ/mole AHf (g) -50.62 kcal/mole = -211.79 kJ/mole Viscosity at 25 C 5.0 cP Flash point (closed cup) 77 °C Ignition temperature 391 °C Unlimited solubility in water 

A violent explosion occurs when furfuryl alcohol is polymerized with concentrated mineral acids such as HCl, H2SO4, or HNO3. 

Furfuryl alcohol is irritating to the eyes and to the skin. The occupational exposure limit is 50 ppm. 

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Table 6.152 Physical Properties of Furfuryl Alcohol (46) PHYSICAL PROPERTIES...

Table 7.7 Strength Properties of Furfuryl Alcohol-Modified Concrete. 

The most important physical properties of furfural, as well as similar properties for furfuryl alcohol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol and furan are given in Table 1. The tabulated properties of furfural are supplemented by a plot (Fig. 1) of the vapor—Hquid compositions for the system, furfural—water (15,16). 

The physical constants of furfuryl alcohol are Hsted in Table 1. When exposed to heat, acid or air the density and refractive index of furfuryl alcohol changes owing to chemical reaction (51), and the rate of change in these properties is a function of temperature and time of exposure. 

Uses. Furfuryl alcohol is widely used as a monomer in manufacturing furfuryl alcohol resins, and as a reactive solvent in a variety of synthetic resins and appHcations. Resins derived from furfuryl alcohol are the most important appHcation for furfuryl alcohol in both utihty and volume. The final cross-linked products display outstanding chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties. They are also heat-stable and remarkably resistant to acids, alkaUes, and solvents. Many commercial resins of various compositions and properties have been prepared by polymerization of furfuryl alcohol and other co-reactants such as furfural, formaldehyde, glyoxal, resorcinol, phenoHc compounds and urea. In 1992, domestic furfuryl alcohol consumption was estimated at 47 million pounds (38). 

The industrial value of furfuryl alcohol is a consequence of its low viscosity, high reactivity, and the outstanding chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties of its polymers, corrosion resistance, nonburning, low smoke emission, and exceUent char formation. The reactivity profile of furfuryl alcohol and resins is such that final curing can take place at ambient temperature with strong acids or at elevated temperature with latent acids. Major markets for furfuryl alcohol resins include the production of cores and molds for casting metals, corrosion-resistant fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs), binders for refractories and corrosion-resistant cements and mortars. 

An interesting group of composite membranes with very good properties is produced by condensation of furfuryl alcohol with sulfuric acid. The first membrane of this type was made by Cadotte at North Star Research and was known as the NS200 membrane [32], These membranes are not made by the interfacial composite process rather a polysulfone microporous support membrane is contacted first with an aqueous solution of furfuryl alcohol and then with sulfuric acid. The coated support is then heated to 140 °C. The furfuryl alcohol forms a polymerized, crosslinked layer on the polysulfone support the membrane is completely black. The chemistry of condensation and reaction is complex, but a possible polymerization scheme is shown in Figure 5.10. 

Thermal properties can also be influenced by a furan ring in the para position of a phenolic ring. A phenolic novolac was prepared by reaction of phenol with methanal using oxalic acid as catalyst, and the furfuryl alcohol was added in a proportion of 0.5 mole furfuryl alcohol per mole phenol. The reaction steps in Scheme 11 show that the condensation of furfuryl alcohol at the para position of the phenolic rings is accompanied by the self-condensation of furfuryl alcohol. 

Podsiadlo P, Sui L, Elkasabi Y et al (2007) Layer-by-layer assembled films of cellulose nanowires with antireflective properties. Langmuir 23 7901-7906 Pranger L, Tannenbaum R (2008) Biobased nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerizatirai of furfuryl alcohol with cellulose whiskers or montmorillonite clay. Macromolecules 41 ... 

Pranger, L.A., Nunnery, G.A., Tannenbaum, R. Mechanism of the nanoparticle-catalyzed polymerization of furfuryl alcohol and the thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites. Compos. B Eng. 43, 1139-1146 (2012)... 

Few examples of nanocomposites in which the cellulosic nanostructure is used in biobased thermosets can be also foimd. Due to the fact that these environment friendly composites suffer from several limitations, such as low mechanical properties due to low strength in reinforcement plus inadequate interfacial strength, and that cellulose nanostructures have been shown to have significant potential as a reinforcement, the possibility of using cellulose nanofibers as reinforcements in a bio-derived resin was revised. In Masoodi et al. [200], cellulose nanofibers were used as reinforcements in the forms of layered films, while in Lee et al. [201] the stability of the gas-soybean oil foam templates and the mechanical properties of the polymer nanocomposite foams are enhanced upon the addition of bacterial cellulose nanofibrils. Other examples of biobased thermosets containing cellulosic nanoreinforcements are the work of Shibata [202] in which the use of a biobased epoxy was revised, and systems in which cellulose nanocrystals are incorporated in biobased polyurethanes [203,204], Few examples exist also in the literature on the polymerization of furfuryl alcohol in presence of CNR [205,206] in these papers, the authors established the feasibility of producing furfuryl... 

Synonyms include Furyl Carbinol, 2-Hydroxy Methyl Furan, 2-Furan Methanol, Furfuryl alcohol resin. Furan resin, FA resin, Poly(furfuryl alcohol). Prepolymers of FA. It is a raw material for organic synthesis, producing levulic acid, resin of various furane kinds in different properties, furfuryl alcohol urea formal resin and phenolic resin. It is a fine solvent for furane resin and oil varnish and pigment as well as used in rocket fuel. It is also used in the production of synthetic fibers, rubber, agricultural chemicals and foundry products. Furfuryl alcohol resins are derivatives of agricultural waste products and complex polymers that are formed in a condensation reaction that occurs when the furfuryl alcohol is acidified. The resins have low viscosity with an odor of furfuryl alcohol. The resin systems are highly reactive and can be catalyzed using a variety of active and latent acidic catalysts. When thermoset, the resins produce polymers that are heat resistant and extremely corrosion resistant to acids, bases and solvents. 

Furfural is a resin former under the influence of strong acid. It will self-resinify as well as form copolymer resins with furfuryl alcohol, phenoHc compounds, or convertible resins of these. Conditions of polymerization, whether aqueous or anhydrous, inert or oxygen atmosphere, all affect the composition of the polymer. Numerous patents have issued relating to polymerization and to appHcations. Although the resins exhibit a degree of britdeness, they have many outstanding properties a number of appHcations are discussed under "Uses."... 

Physical Properties. Furfuryl alcohol (2-furanmethanol) [98-00-0] is aHquid, colorless, primary alcohol with a mild odor. On exposure to air, it gradually darkens in color. Furfuryl alcohol is completely miscible with water, alcohol, ether, acetone, and ethyl acetate, and most other organic solvents with the exception of paraffinic hydrocarbons. It is an exceUent, highly polar solvent, and dissolves many resins. 

Corrosion Resistant Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP). Fiber glass reinforcement bonded with furfuryl alcohol thermosetting resias provides plastics with unique properties. Excellent resistance to corrosion and heat distortion coupled with low flame spread and low smoke emission are characteristics that make them valuable as laminating resins with fiber glass (75,76). Another valuable property of furan FRP is its strength at elevated temperature. Hand-layup, spray-up, and filament-win ding techniques are employed to produce an array of corrosion-resistant equipment, pipes, tanks, vats, ducts, scmbbers, stacks, and reaction vessels for industrial appHcations throughout the world. 

PhenoHc and furfuryl alcohol resins have a high char strength and penetrate into the fibrous core of the fiber stmcture. The phenoHc resins are low viscosity resoles some have been neutralized and have the salt removed. An autoclave is used to apply the vacuum and pressure required for good impregnation and sufficient heat for a resin cure, eg, at 180°C. The slow pyrolysis of the part foUows temperatures of 730—1000°C are recommended for the best properties. On occasion, temperatures up to 1260°C are used and constant weight is possible even up to 2760°C (93). 

Furan resins are produced by the polymerization of furfural or furfuryl alcohol in the presence of acids (see Figure 15.8). The properties of these dark-colored resins are shown in Table 15.6. Furan resins have a relatively low heat deflection temperature (80 °C) and good mechanical properties. These materials, which are widely used as jointing materials for brick and tile, are characterized by excellent resistance to nonoxidizing acids, alkalis, and salts but are affected by the presence of oxidizing acids such as nitric acid. The furan plastics are also resistant at room temperature to nonpolar solvents, such as benzene, and to polar solvents, such as ethanol. 

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