Cured resinous compositions of phenol, melamine, and formaldehyde and process of preparing same

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A POTENTIALLY THERMOSETTING RESINOUS COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES MIXING (1) A THERMOPLASTIC RESINOUS MATERIAL PREPARED BY DISSOLVING MELAMINE IN FORMALDEHYDE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM AHOUT 75*C. TO ABOUT 90*C. AND AT A PH IN THE ORDER OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 12, ADDING THERETO PHENOL WHEREIN THE MOLAR RATIO OF FORMALDEHYDE TO TOTAL MELAMINE AND PHENOL IS WITHIN THE ORDER OF FROM ABOUT 0.5:1 TO ABOUT 1:1, RESPECTIVELY, REACTING AT REFLUX TEMPERATURE UNTIL THE COMPOSITION HYDROPHOBES, REMOVING EXCESS WATER FROM SAID COMPOSITION, ADDING THERETO SUFFICIENT WATER-SOLUBLE ALCOHOL TO GIVE A RESINOUS SYRUP HAVING WATER-ALCOHOL RATIO IN THE ORDER OF ABOUT 60-40, RESPECTIVELY, AND A RESIN SOLIDS CONTENT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 60% TO ABOUT 65%, WITH (2) FROM ABOUT 7% TO ABOUT 20% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE TOTAL RESINS SOLIDS OF A REACTIVE CROSS-LINKING HARDENING AGENT, UNTIL (2) IS SUBSTANTIALLY DISSOLVED IN (1), IMPREGNATING A FILLER WITH SAID MIXTURE OF (1) AND (2), DRYING SAID IMPREGNATED FILLER AND COMMINUTING SAID DRIED RESIN IMPREGNATED FILLER.