Thermochemical properties of methylol phenol monomers and phenol formaldehyde resoles

The principal aim of the present research is to investigate the thermochemical characteristics of individual methylol phenol monomers, which are the first addition products in the making of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resoles, in the temperature range up to 250°C. The second aim of the research is to study the cure properties of PF resoles as a whole with a particular focus on the dependence of the reaction kinetics on the degree of the cure up to 250°C. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the model-free kinetic analysis approach were used to monitor the thermochemical properties of both the monomers and PF resoles as a function of concentration of sodium hydroxide, a common basic catalyst used in the making of the resoles.