Solution resins

It should be possible to form linear noncross-linked polymers of melamine—formaldehyde or phenol—formaldehyde by reaction of one mole of the patent with one mole of formaldehyde, but this is generally not the case. The melamine crystal itself is very insoluble in water and only becomes soluble as the formaldehyde molecules add on. If much less than 1.5 moles of formaldehyde pet mole of melamine ate used, the aqueous resin solution is very unstable. 

Air and oil filters are made by a dry-web process in which the filter paper is dried over heated metal dmms. The paper is saturated with the phenoHc resin solution, either off- or on-line, and dried in an oven advancing the resin to the B-stage (semicured). The sheet, containing 20—30% resin, is roUed and shipped to the filter-unit manufacturer, where the sheet is convoluted and the filter assembled and cured to the C-stage (fully cured). 

As the quinone stabilizer is consumed, the peroxy radicals initiate the addition chain propagation reactions through the formation of styryl radicals. In dilute solutions, the reaction between styrene and fumarate ester foUows an alternating sequence. However, in concentrated resin solutions, the alternating addition reaction is impeded at the onset of the physical gel. The Hquid resin forms an intractable gel when only 2% of the fumarate unsaturation is cross-linked with styrene. The gel is initiated through small micelles (12) that form the nuclei for the expansion of the cross-linked network. 

Poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(vinyl acetate) precipitate from the resin solution as it cures. This mechanism offsets the contraction in volume as the polyester resin cross-links, resulting in a nonshrinking thermoset. Other polymer additives such as poly(butylene adipate) provide similar shrinkage... 

Adhesives. High concentration (>10%) solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) exhibit wet tack properties that are used in several adhesive appHcations. The tackiness disappears when the polymer dries and this property can be successfully utilized in appHcations that require adhesion only in moist conditions. PEO is also known to form solution complexes with several phenoHc and phenoxy resins. Solution blends of PEO and phenoxy resins are known to exhibit synergistic effects, leading to high adhesion strength on aluminum surfaces. Adhesive formulations are available from the manufacturers. 

The areas for the reactors and storage tanks should be separated by fire walls, and must be adequately ventilated. Storage tanks should be blanketed by inert gas. A slight positive pressure of inert gas should be maintained in the reactor or storage tanks during the discharging of the resin or resin solution to prevent air from being sucked into the vessel to form an explosive mixture with the solvent vapor. 

Phenohc resins are generally used in alcohohc solution, whereas melamine resins are best handled in water or water—alcohol mixtures. The paper or cloth web is passed through a dip tank containing resin solution, adjusted for pick-up on squeeze rohs, and then passed through a heated drying oven. 

In terms of general solvency, solvents may be described as active solvents, latent solvents, or diluents. This differentiation is particularly popular in coatings applications, but the designations are useful for almost any solvent appHcation. Active solvents are strong solvents for the particular solute in the apphcation, and are most commonly ketones or esters. Latent solvents function as active solvents in the presence of a strong active solvent. Alcohols exhibit this effect in nitrocellulose and acryUc resin solutions. Diluents, most often hydrocarbons, are nonsolvents for the solute in the apphcation. 

A significant use of butylene oxide [26249-20-7] is as an acid scavenger for chlorine-containing materials such as trichloroethylene. Inclusion of about 0.25—0.5% of butylene oxide, based on the solvent weight, during preparation of vinyl chloride and copolymer resin solutions minimizes container corrosion which may be detrimental to resin color and properties. 

Viscosity of Resin Solutions. The viscosity of coatings must be adjusted to the appHcation method to be used. It is usually between 50 and 1000 mPa-s(=cP), at the shear rate involved in the appHcation method used. The viscosity of the coating is controUed by the viscosity of the resin solution, which is in turn controUed mainly by the free volume (4). The factors controlling free volume are temperature, resin stmcture, solvent stmcture, concentration, and solvent-resin interactions. 

The temperature dependence of viscosity of resin solutions can be expressed by the WLE equation (eq. 3) where the reference temperature T is taken as the lowest temperature for which data ate avaUable (92,93). 

This lelationship has been shown to hold for a wide variety of coating resins and resin solutions over a wide range of concentrations. A simplification of equation 3 where T is the reference temperature is given in equation 2, which assumes that the viscosity at T is 10 Pa-s. 

One principal use of cyclohexanol has been in the manufacture of esters for use as plasticizers (qv), ie, cyclohexyl and dicyclohexyl phthalates. In the finishes industry, cyclohexanol is used as a solvent for lacquers, shellacs, and varnishes. Its low volatiUty helps to improve secondary flow and to prevent blushing. It also improves the miscibility of cellulose nitrate and resin solutions and helps maintain homogeneity during drying of lacquers. Reaction of cyclohexanol with ammonia produces cyclohexylamine [108-91-8], a corrosion inhibitor. Cyclohexanol is used as a stabilizer and homogenizer for soaps and synthetic detergent emulsions. It is used also by the textile industry as a dye solvent and kier-boiling assistant (see Dye carriers). 

Two classes of resol are generally distinguished, water-soluble resins prepared using caustic soda as catalyst, and spirit-soluble resins which are catalysed by addition of ammonia. The water-soluble resins are usually only partially dehydrated during manufacture to give an aqueous resin solution with a solids content of about 70%. The solution viscosity can critically affect the success in a given application. Water-soluble resols are used mainly for mechanical grade paper and cloth laminates and in decorative laminates. 

About 1.5 parts ammonium chloride per 100 parts of the resin solution are generally used. The hardener is added as an aqueous solution. 

A rather strange but nevertheless large-scale application of U-F resins is in the manufacture of firelighters, made by a modification of the foam process. The resin solution is blended with a small amount of detergent and then whisked with paraffin. A hardener is added and the resin allowed to set. In effect the product is a U-F foam saturated with paraffin. 

For laminating and other purposes the initial product is further heated to about 85°C with continuous stirring. After about 30 minutes, and at regular intervals thereafter, samples of the resin are taken and added to ice-cold water. Diminished water tolerance is indicated when the resin solution becomes cloudy on entering the water. Reaction is then continued until the stage is reached when addition of 3 cm of water will cause 1 cm of resin to become turbid. 

The colour can be determined by various methods such as the Gardner, Barrett, iodine colour number or US Colophonium standard methods. Usually, the Gardner or the Barrett standards are used. A comparison between the different methods to determine the colour of resins is given in Table 9. In both methods, the colour is evaluated in resin solutions. A 50 wt% resin solution in toluene is used as the Gardner standard, and a solution of 2 g resin in 25 ml toluene is used in the Barrett... 

The low molar ratio of the final UF-resin is adjusted by the addition of the so-called second urea, which might also be added in several steps [16-18]. Particular care and know-how are needed during this acid condensation step in order to produce resins of good performance, especially at the very low molar ratios usually in use today in the production of particleboard and MDF. This last reaction step generally also includes the vacuum distillation of the resin solution to the usual 63-66% solid content syrup in which form the resin is delivered. The distillation is performed in the manufacturing reactor itself or in a thin layer evaporator. Industrial preparation procedures are usually proprietary and are described in the literature in only a few cases [17-19]. 

Resin solution penetrating sealers are now available which, for very large warehouse floors, are comparable in applied costs with the concrete surface hardeners and are now being increasingly specified. Experience indicates that certain acrylic resin solutions are proving more durable and offer better protection to chemical and oil spillage than concrete surface hardeners. Acrylic resin solution sealers can markedly improve the abrasion resistance of concrete floors and have rescued a number of poor-quality floors. 

Other resin solutions, in white spirit or stronger solvent blends, used as penetrating floor sealers include ... 

All such resin solutions are based on flammable solvents and are becoming increasingly less acceptable on health and safety grounds. There is therefore increased interest in water-based polymer dispersion floor sealers, but, to date, none offer the same improvement to flooring performance that some of the resin solutions can provide. 

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