Synthesis and structural characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing phenol formaldehyde resites

To probe the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the carbonization, gasification, and liquefaction of coals and other solid fuels, nonsoftening phenol—formaldehyde (PF) co-resites are ideal since they facilitate the incorporation of individual PAHs into a highly crosslinked matrix. A series of PAH and diphenylalkane-containing phenolic co-resites have been prepared using phenol with, as the second component, 2-naphthol, 4-hydroxy diphenylmethane, 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenylethane, 1-(4-hydroxybenzyl)naphthalene, 9-(4-hydroxybenzyl)anthracene, and 9-(4-hydroxybenzyl)phenanthrene. A mole ratio of 3 : 1 (phenol : second phenolic constituent) was adopted to ensure that a reasonably high degree of crosslinking was achieved. The virtually complete elimination of ether and methylol functions from the resoles by curing at 200°C was monitored by solid-state ¹³C-NMR. The resites were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The volatile-matter contents of the PAH-containing resites were all higher than that of the normal resite. The carbonization of the 9-(4-hydroxybenzyl)anthracene-containing resite in a fluidized-bed reactor is used to illustrate the potential applications of the PAH-containing resites in fuel science. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 663–671, 1997