Reactivity with formaldehyde

The adhesive properties of lignin, its reactivity with formaldehyde, and its structural similarity with phenolic adhesives invited investigation of the applicability of lignin in adhesive resin systems. Therefore, during the past several years, numerous attempts have been made to replace the expensive petrochemical resins totally or partially with the renewable raw material lignin (i). 

The reactivity of resorcinol with formaldehyde is essential for developing the cohesive strength of the interlayer and its bonding characteristics. Condensed tannins are known to be very reactive with formaldehyde (7-0), so these renewable phenolic polymers are good candidates as resorcinol replacements. Indeed, condensed tannins from wattle and pine bark extracts have been successfully used in cold-setting, wood-laminating adhesives, and the former are used extensively in the commercial production of laminated timbers in South Africa (Pizzi, A., National Timber Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa, personal communication, 1982) (10-13). 

It is interesting to note that while -CH2-O-CH2- ether bridged compounds have been isolated for the phenol-formaldehyde [24] reaction, their existence for fast-reacting phenols such as resorcinol and phloroglucinol has been postulated, but they have not been isolated, as these two phenols have always been considered too reactive with formaldehyde. They are detected by a surge in the concentration of formaldehyde observed in kinetic curves due to methylene ether bridge decomposition [19]. 

Resorcinol-Formaldehyde Resins (Moult, 1977 Dick, 1987) - Resorcinol adhesives are eondensation products of resorcinol with formaldehyde or various phenol-formaldehyde resoles. Most of the adhesives manufaetured are of the second type due to their lower cost. Resorcinol is much more reactive with formaldehyde dian phenol since it has two meta hydroxyl groups. The two groups reinforce eaeh other in their activation of the ortho and para positions of the benzene ring. To make stable resorcinol/formaldehyde resins which do not gel on aging, 0.5 to 0.7 moles of formaldehyde is added per mole of resorcinol. At the time of use, some additional formaldehyde is added and... 

Meta-cresol, which has three positions capable of methylolation, is high reactive with formaldehyde, and the alcohols formed resinify rapidly even under alkaline conditions. As a result, it is extremely difficult to isolate pure phenol alcohols. However, crystalline products beliei ed to be monoalcohols and melting at 105, 110, 117, and 122 C have been reported . The difficulties of isolating pure products are considerable, since three monomethylol derivatives, three dimethylol derivatives and one trimethylol derivative are possible. 

Resins. As mentioned above, both furfural and furfuryl alcohol are widely used in resin apphcations. Another resin former, 2,5-furandimethanol [1883-75-6] (BHME), is prepared from furfuryl alcohol by reaction with formaldehyde. It is usually not isolated because oligomerization occurs simultaneously with formation (competing reaction). Both the monomer and oligomers are very reactive owing to difuntionahty, and are used primarily as binders for foundry sand (72) and fiberglass insulation (147,148). 

The aromatic ring of a phenoxy anion is the site of electrophilic addition, eg, in methylolation with formaldehyde (qv). The phenoxy anion is highly reactive to many oxidants such as oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and peroxyacetic acid. Many of the chemical modification reactions of lignin utilizing its aromatic and phenoHc nature have been reviewed elsewhere (53). 

Ghloromethylation. The reactive intermediate, 1-chloromethylnaphthalene [86-52-2] has been produced by the reaction of naphthalene in glacial acetic acid and phosphoric acid with formaldehyde and hydrochloric acid. Heating of these ingredients at 80—85°C at 101.3 kPa (1 atm) with stirring for ca 6 h is required. The potential ha2ard of such chloromethylation reactions, which results from the possible production of small amounts of the powerhil carcinogen methyl chloromethyl ether [107-30-2J, has been reported (21). 

Quinone Methides. The reaction between aldehydes and alkylphenols can also be base-cataly2ed. Under mild conditions, 2,6-DTBP reacts with formaldehyde in the presence of a base to produce the methylol derivative (22) which reacts further with base to eliminate a molecule of water and form a reactive intermediate, the quinone methide (23). Quinone methides undergo a broad array of transformations by way of addition reactions. These molecules ate conjugated homologues of vinyl ketones, but are more reactive because of the driving force associated with rearomatization after addition. An example of this type of addition is between the quinone methide and methanol to produce the substituted ben2yl methyl ether (24). 

An important extension of these reactions is the Mannich reaction, in which aminomethyl-ation is achieved by the combination of formaldehyde, a secondary amine and acetic acid (Scheme 24). The intermediate immonium ion generated from formaldehyde, dimethyl-amine and acetic acid is not sufficiently reactive to aminomethylate furan, but it will form substitution products with alkylfurans. The Mannich reaction appears to be still more limited in its application to thiophene chemistry, although 2-aminomethylthiophene has been prepared by reaction of thiophene with formaldehyde and ammonium chloride. The use of A,iV-dimethyf (methylene) ammonium chloride (Me2N=CH2 CF) has been recommended for the iV,iV-dimethylaminomethylation of thiophenes (83S73). 

In general it is considered essential that the bulk of the phenol used initially should not be substituted, i.e. should be reactive, at the o- and p-positions and is thus trifunctional with respect to the reaction with formaldehyde. 

Resorcinol (1,3-dihydroxybenzene) is more reactive to formaldehyde than phenol itself, the two hydroxyl groups reinforcing each other in activating the o-and p-positions. This allows faster reactions to occur than with phenol, when compared at the same temperature, and under appropriate conditions curing can occur at normal room temperatures. 

The study of PF polymerization is far more difficult than that of methylolation due to the increased complexity of the reactions, the intractability of the material, and a resulting lack of adequate analytical methods. When dealing with methylolation, we saw that every reactive ring position had its own reaction rate with formaldehyde that varied with the extent of prior reaction of the ring. Despite this rate sensitivity and complexity, all reactions kinetics were second-order overall, first-order in phenol reactive sites and first-order in formaldehyde. This is not the case with the condensation reactions. 

The same chemical mechanisms and driving forces presented for phenol-formaldehyde resins apply to resorcinol resins. Resorcinol reacts readily with formaldehyde to produce resins (Fig. 2) which harden at ambient temperatures if formaldehyde is added. The initial condensation reaction, in which A-stage liquid resins are formed, leads to the formation of linear condensates only when the resorcinol/formaldehyde molar ratio is approximately 1 1 [119]. This reflects the reactivity of the two main reactive sites (positions 4 and 6) of resorcinol [120]. However, reaction with the remaining reactive but sterically hindered site (2-positiori) between the hydroxyl functions also occurs [119]. In relation to the weights of resorcinol-formaldehyde condensates which are isolated and on a molar basis, the proportion of 4- plus 6-linkages relative to 2-linkages is 10.5 1. However, it must be noted that the first-mentioned pair represents two condensa-... 

The condensation reaction of resorcinol with formaldehyde, on an equal molar basis and under identical conditions, also proceeds at a rate which is approximately 10 to 15 times faster than that of the equivalent phenol-formaldehyde system [16-18,123]. The high reactivity of the resorcinol-formaldehyde system renders it impossible to have these adhesives in resol form. Therefore, only resorcinol-formaldehyde novolaks, i.e. resins not containing methylol groups can be produced. All the resorcinol nuclei are linked together through methylene... 

The cationic polymerization of cardanol under acidic conditions has been referred to earlier [170,171], NMR studies [16] indicated a carbonium ion initiated mechanism for oligomerization. PCP was found to be highly reactive with aldehydes, amines, and isocyates. Highly insoluble and infusible thermoset products could be obtained. Hexamine-cured PCP showed much superior thermal stability (Fig. 12) at temperatures above 500°C to that of the unmodified cardanol-formaldehyde resins. However, it was definitely inferior to phenolic resins at all temperatures. The difference in thermal stability between phenolic and PCP resins could be understood from the presence of the libile hydrocarbon segment in PCP. 

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