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