Ambient temperature hardening binder compositions

Claim 1

A method for retarding the ambient temperature hardening of a phenolic resole resin and a hardening agent which hardens the resin at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions which comprises contacting said resin and hardening agent with a nitroalkane and permitting the resin to harden under alkaline conditions wherein the nitroalkane is in a amount sufficient to retard the hardening, said nitroalkane having the formula: ##STR3## wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached is a cycloaliphatic group and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the nitroalkane does not exceed 6.

Claim 2

A method for retarding the ambient temperature hardening of a phenolic resole resin and a hardening agent which hardens the resin at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions which comprises contacting said resin and hardening agent with a nitroalkane and permitting the resin to harden under alkaline conditions wherein the nitroalkane is in a amount sufficient to retard the hardening, said nitroalkane having the formula: ##STR3## wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached is a cycloaliphatic group and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the nitroalkane does not exceed 6.

Claim 9

A method for retarding the ambient temperature hardening of a phenolic resole resin and a hardening agent which hardens the resin at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions which comprises contacting said resin with a hardening agent in sufficient quantity to harden the resin, said hardening agent selected from the group consisting of lightburned magnesium oxide, gamma-butyrolactone, gamma-caprolactone, gamma-valerolactone, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, ethylene glycol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, dimethyl adipate, dimethyl glutarate, dimethyl succinate, an esterified phenol having at least one phenolic hydroxyl group and/or esterified phenolic hydroxyl group and further having at least one esterified methylol group ortho- and/or para- to a phenolic hydroxyl group or esterified phenolic hydroxyl group wherein the acid component of the ester has from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and mixtures of said hardening agents with a nitroalkane in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening, said nitroalkane having the formula: ##STR4## wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached is a cycloaliphatic group and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the nitroalkane does not exceed 6.

Claim 10

A method for retarding the ambient temperature hardening of a phenolic resole resin and a hardening agent which hardens the resin at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions which comprises contacting said resin with a hardening agent in sufficient quantity to harden the resin, said hardening agent selected from the group consisting of lightburned magnesium oxide, gamma-butyrolactone, gamma-caprolactone, gamma-valerolactone, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, ethylene glycol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, dimethyl adipate, dimethyl glutarate, dimethyl succinate, an esterified phenol having at least one phenolic hydroxyl group and/or esterified phenolic hydroxyl group and further having at least one esterified methylol group ortho- and/or para- to a phenolic hydroxyl group or esterified phenolic hydroxyl group wherein the acid component of the ester has from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and mixtures of said hardening agents with a nitroalkane in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening, said nitroalkane having the formula: ##STR4## wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached is a cycloaliphatic group and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the nitroalkane does not exceed 6.

Claim 23

A method for retarding the hardening of a composition comprising a phenolic resole resin which comprises contacting at a temperature of about 50° F. to 120° F.: A. a hardenable, alkaline phenolic resole resin having a solids content of from about 40% to about 75% by weight thereof, an aldehyde to phenol molar ratio of from about 1.2:1 to about 2.6:1; an alkali to phenol molar ratio of from about 0.2:1 to about 1.2:1; and a pH above 11; B. an organic ester functional hardening agent selected from the group consisting of an organic carbonate, a lactone, a carboxylic acid ester, and mixtures thereof in an amount sufficient to harden the resin; and C. a nitroalkane in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin, said nitroalkane having the formula: ##STR5## wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached is a cycloaliphatic group and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the nitroalkane does not exceed 6.

Claim 24

A method for retarding the hardening of a composition comprising a phenolic resole resin which comprises contacting at a temperature of about 50° F. to 120° F.: A. a hardenable, alkaline phenolic resole resin having a solids content of from about 40% to about 75% by weight thereof, an aldehyde to phenol molar ratio of from about 1.2:1 to about 2.6:1; an alkali to phenol molar ratio of from about 0.2:1 to about 1.2:1; and a pH above 11; B. an organic ester functional hardening agent selected from the group consisting of an organic carbonate, a lactone, a carboxylic acid ester, and mixtures thereof in an amount sufficient to harden the resin; and C. a nitroalkane in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin, said nitroalkane having the formula: ##STR5## wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 and R 2 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached is a cycloaliphatic group and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the nitroalkane does not exceed 6.

Claim 30

A method for retarding the hardening of a composition comprising a phenolic resole resin which comprises contacting at a temperature of about 50° F. to 120° F.: A. a hardenable, phenolic resole resin having a pH of about 4.5 to 9.5; B. a hardening agent selected from the group consisting of lightburned magnesium oxide and lightburned magnesium oxide together with an organic ester functional hardening agent is an amount sufficient to harden the resin at said temperature at an alkaline pH of less than 10; and C. a primary or secondary nitroalkane having one nitro-group and 1 to 6 carbon atoms in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin.

Claim 31

A method for retarding the hardening of a composition comprising a phenolic resole resin which comprises contacting at a temperature of about 50° F. to 120° F.: A. a hardenable, phenolic resole resin having a pH of about 4.5 to 9.5; B. a hardening agent selected from the group consisting of lightburned magnesium oxide and lightburned magnesium oxide together with an organic ester functional hardening agent is an amount sufficient to harden the resin at said temperature at an alkaline pH of less than 10; and C. a primary or secondary nitroalkane having one nitro-group and 1 to 6 carbon atoms in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin.

Claim 36

A method for retarding the hardening of a phenolformaldehyde resole resin and an organic ester functional hardening agent at ambient temperature which comprises mixing: A. a hardenable, alkaline phenol-formaldehyde resole resin having a solids content of from about 40% to about 75% by weight thereof, a formaldehyde to phenol molar ratio of from about 1.2:1 to about 2.6:1; an alkali to phenol molar ratio of from about 0.2:1 to about 1.2:1; and a pH above 11; B. an organic ester functional hardening agent selected from the group consisting of an organic carbonate, a lactone, a carboxylic acid ester, and mixtures thereof in an amount sufficient to harden the resin; C. a primary or secondary nitroalkane having one nitro group and 1 to 6 carbon atoms in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin; and then permitting the resin to cure to a solid.

Claim 37

A method for retarding the hardening of a phenolformaldehyde resole resin and an organic ester functional hardening agent at ambient temperature which comprises mixing: A. a hardenable, alkaline phenol-formaldehyde resole resin having a solids content of from about 40% to about 75% by weight thereof, a formaldehyde to phenol molar ratio of from about 1.2:1 to about 2.6:1; an alkali to phenol molar ratio of from about 0.2:1 to about 1.2:1; and a pH above 11; B. an organic ester functional hardening agent selected from the group consisting of an organic carbonate, a lactone, a carboxylic acid ester, and mixtures thereof in an amount sufficient to harden the resin; C. a primary or secondary nitroalkane having one nitro group and 1 to 6 carbon atoms in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin; and then permitting the resin to cure to a solid.

Claim 40

A method for retarding the hardening of a phenolformaldehyde resole resin at ambient temperature which comprises mixing: A. a hardenable, phenol-formaldehyde resole resin having a pH of about 4.5 to 9.5; B. a hardening agent selected from the group consisting of lightburned magnesium oxide and lightburned magnesium oxide together with an organic ester functional hardening agent in an amount sufficient to harden the resin at an alkaline pH of less than 10; C. a primary or secondary nitroalkane having one nitro group and 1 to 6 carbon atoms in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin; and then permitting the resin to cure to a solid.

Claim 41

A method for retarding the hardening of a phenolformaldehyde resole resin at ambient temperature which comprises mixing: A. a hardenable, phenol-formaldehyde resole resin having a pH of about 4.5 to 9.5; B. a hardening agent selected from the group consisting of lightburned magnesium oxide and lightburned magnesium oxide together with an organic ester functional hardening agent in an amount sufficient to harden the resin at an alkaline pH of less than 10; C. a primary or secondary nitroalkane having one nitro group and 1 to 6 carbon atoms in an amount sufficient to retard the hardening of the resin; and then permitting the resin to cure to a solid.