Stable phenolic resoles

Claim 2

Foamable phenolic resoles which are free of ionic species removable by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent.

Claim 3

A cellular phenolic composition produced by polymerization, in the presence of an acidic polymerization accelerator and a blowing agent, of a phenolic resole as defined in claim 1.

Claim 4

Foamable phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which are free of ionic species that respond to removal by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and having a water content of no more than about 6 weight percent.

Claim 5

Foamable phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which are free of ionic species that respond to removal by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and having a water content of no more than about 6 weight percent.

Claim 6

Foamable phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent and being free of ionic species removable by the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 7

Foamable phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent and being free of ionic species removable by the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 8

Foamable resoles as defined in claim 4 having a water content of no more than about 6 weight percent.

Claim 9

Compositions comprising foamable phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which resoles have a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent, and have been condensed in the presence of an alkaline metal catalyst for the phenol-formaldehyde condensation reaction and subsequently deionized by ion exchange with the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 10

Compositions comprising foamable phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which resoles have a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent, and have been condensed in the presence of an alkaline metal catalyst for the phenol-formaldehyde condensation reaction and subsequently deionized by ion exchange with the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 11

Compositions as defined in claim 6 in which the alkaline metal catalyst is a compound of an alkali metal.

Claim 12

Compositions as defined in claim 7 in which the catalyst is a potassium compound.

Claim 13

Compositions as defined in claim 7 in which the catalyst is a sodium compound.

Claim 14

Compositions as defined in claim 7 in which the catalyst is a cesium compound.

Claim 15

Compositions as defined in claim 6 in which the alkaline metal catalyst is a compound of an alkaline earth metal.

Claim 16

Compositions as defined in claim 11 in which the catalyst is a barium compound.

Claim 17

Foamable compositions comprising phenol-formaldehyde resoles having a water content of not more than about 10 weight percent which resoles have been condensed in the presence of potassium hydroxide catalyst and subsequently deionized by treatment with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 18

Foamable compositions comprising phenol-formaldehyde resoles having a water content of not more than about 10 weight percent which resoles have been condensed in the presence of potassium hydroxide catalyst and subsequently deionized by treatment with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 19

A process for the formation of foamable phenolic resoles which comprises reacting a phenolic compound and an aldehyde at a molar ratio of aldehyde to phenolic compound from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of an alkaline metal catalyst at a condensation temperature between about 60° C. and about 110° C. such that aqueous alkaline condensate is formed, deionizing alkaline condensate by treatment thereof with the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin, and recovering phenolic resole having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 20

A process for the formation of foamable phenolic resoles which comprises reacting a phenolic compound and an aldehyde at a molar ratio of aldehyde to phenolic compound from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of an alkaline metal catalyst at a condensation temperature between about 60° C. and about 110° C. such that aqueous alkaline condensate is formed, deionizing alkaline condensate by treatment thereof with the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin, and recovering phenolic resole having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 21

A process for the formation of foamable liquid phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which comprises reacting phenol and formaldehyde at a formaldehyde:phenol molar ratio of from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of an alkaline metal catalyst at a condensation temperature between about 65° C. and about 100° C. such that aqueous alkaline condensate is formed, treating alkaline condensate with the free acid form of a cation exchange resin to reduce the pH thereof to a value between about 1.5 and about 4, treating the cation exchanged condensate with the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin such that the pH is increased to a value within the range from about 4 to about 7, and recovering resole having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 22

A process for the formation of foamable liquid phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which comprises reacting phenol and formaldehyde at a formaldehyde:phenol molar ratio of from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of an alkaline metal catalyst at a condensation temperature between about 65° C. and about 100° C. such that aqueous alkaline condensate is formed, treating alkaline condensate with the free acid form of a cation exchange resin to reduce the pH thereof to a value between about 1.5 and about 4, treating the cation exchanged condensate with the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin such that the pH is increased to a value within the range from about 4 to about 7, and recovering resole having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 23

The process of claim 15 in which said alkaline metal catalyst is an inorganic oxygen-containing compound of potassium.

Claim 24

The process of claim 16 in which said potassium compound is potassium hydroxide.

Claim 25

The process of claim 17 in which said potassium hydroxide is of mercury cell grade.

Claim 26

The process of claim 15 in which said cation exchange resin is a strongly acidic resin.

Claim 27

The process of claim 15 in which the pH of the alkaline condensate is reduced to and substantially stabilized at a value between about 2 and about 3.5.

Claim 28

A process for the formation of foamable liquid phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which comprises condensing phenol at a formaldehyde:phenol molar ratio from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of potassium hydroxide catalyst at a condensation temperature between about 65° C. and about 100° C. such that alkaline liquid condensate is formed, intimately contacting alkaline condensate with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin under conditions such that the pH of condensate is decreased to and substantially stabilized at a value within the range between about 1.5 and about 4, passing cation exchanged liquid into intimate contact with the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin under conditions such that the pH is increased and substantially stabilized at a value within the range between about 4 and about 7, and recovering liquid product comprising deionized phenol-formaldehyde resoles having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 29

A process for the formation of foamable liquid phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which comprises condensing phenol at a formaldehyde:phenol molar ratio from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of potassium hydroxide catalyst at a condensation temperature between about 65° C. and about 100° C. such that alkaline liquid condensate is formed, intimately contacting alkaline condensate with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin under conditions such that the pH of condensate is decreased to and substantially stabilized at a value within the range between about 1.5 and about 4, passing cation exchanged liquid into intimate contact with the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin under conditions such that the pH is increased and substantially stabilized at a value within the range between about 4 and about 7, and recovering liquid product comprising deionized phenol-formaldehyde resoles having a water content of no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 30

The process of claim 21 in which the liquid product is provided in substantially anhydrous form.

Claim 31

The process of claim 21 in which the liquid product is provided as an aqueous solution containing no more than about 6 weight percent water.

Claim 32

The process of claim 21 in which the pH of the liquid in contact with the cation exchange resin is substantially stabilized at a value within the range between about 2 and about 3.5.

Claim 33

The process of claim 21 in which the pH of the liquid in contact with the anion exchange resin is substantially stabilized at a value of at least about 4.5.

Claim 34

A process for the formation of foamable liquid phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which comprises condensing phenol and formaldehyde at a formaldehyde:phenol molar ratio from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of potassium hydroxide at a condensation temperature between about 65° C. and about 100° C., intimately contacting alkaline condensate with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin under conditions such that the pH of condensate is decreased to and substantially stabilized at a value within the range from about 2 to about 3.5, passing cation-exchanged liquid into intimate contact with the hydroxy form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin under conditions such that the pH is increased and substantially stabilized at a value within the range from about 4.5 to about 6.5, and reducing the water content of the ion exchanged liquid to a level no more than about 10 weight percent and recovering liquid phenol-formaldehyde resole having a water content no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 35

A process for the formation of foamable liquid phenol-formaldehyde resoles of extended shelf-life which comprises condensing phenol and formaldehyde at a formaldehyde:phenol molar ratio from about 1:1 to about 3:1 in the presence of potassium hydroxide at a condensation temperature between about 65° C. and about 100° C., intimately contacting alkaline condensate with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin under conditions such that the pH of condensate is decreased to and substantially stabilized at a value within the range from about 2 to about 3.5, passing cation-exchanged liquid into intimate contact with the hydroxy form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin under conditions such that the pH is increased and substantially stabilized at a value within the range from about 4.5 to about 6.5, and reducing the water content of the ion exchanged liquid to a level no more than about 10 weight percent and recovering liquid phenol-formaldehyde resole having a water content no more than about 10 weight percent as a product of the process.

Claim 36

A liquid phenol-formaldehyde resole produced by the process of claim 26.

Claim 37

A process as defined in claim 26 in which said potassium hydroxide is of mercury cell grade.

Claim 38

A liquid phenol-formaldehyde resole produced by the process of claim 28.

Claim 39

A process as defined in claim 26 in which the water content of the ion exchanged liquid is reduced to a level no more than about 4 weight percent, and the recovered resole has a water content no more than about 4 weight percent.

Claim 40

A phenolic foam produced by polymerization of a deionized phenol-formaldehyde resole having a water content no more than about 10 weight percent, in the presence of a strongly acidic polymerization accelerator, a blowing agent comprising a halogenated organic compound having a boiling point between about minus 40° F. and about 200° F., and a surface active agent, wherein said deionized phenol-formaldehyde resole is free of ionic species that respond to removal by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 41

A phenolic foam produced by polymerization of a deionized phenol-formaldehyde resole having a water content no more than about 10 weight percent, in the presence of a strongly acidic polymerization accelerator, a blowing agent comprising a halogenated organic compound having a boiling point between about minus 40° F. and about 200° F., and a surface active agent, wherein said deionized phenol-formaldehyde resole is free of ionic species that respond to removal by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin.

Claim 42

A phenolic foam produced by polymerization of a phenol-formaldehyde resole in the presence of a strongly acidic accelerator, a blowing agent and a surface active agent, wherein said phenol-formaldehyde resole is free of ionic species that respond to removal by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and has a water content no more than about 10 weight percent.

Claim 43

A phenolic foam produced by polymerization of a phenol-formaldehyde resole in the presence of a strongly acidic accelerator, a blowing agent and a surface active agent, wherein said phenol-formaldehyde resole is free of ionic species that respond to removal by the free acid form of a cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and has a water content no more than about 10 weight percent.

Claim 44

A phenolic foam produced by polymerization of a phenol-formaldehyde resole in the presence of a strongly acidic accelerator, a blowing agent comprising a halocarbon and a surface active agent, wherein said phenol-formaldehyde resole is provided by treatment of a potassium hydroxide-catalyzed condensate with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and wherein said resole has a water content of no more about 6 weight percent.

Claim 45

A phenolic foam produced by polymerization of a phenol-formaldehyde resole in the presence of a strongly acidic accelerator, a blowing agent comprising a halocarbon and a surface active agent, wherein said phenol-formaldehyde resole is provided by treatment of a potassium hydroxide-catalyzed condensate with the free acid form of a strongly acidic cation exchange resin and the hydroxyl form of a strongly basic anion exchange resin and wherein said resole has a water content of no more about 6 weight percent.

Claim 46

A phenolic foam as defined in claim 33 wherein the said resole has a water content no more than about 4 weight percent.