Model studies of the curing of resole phenol-formaldehyde resins Part 1. The behaviour of ortho quinone methide in a curing resin

Model compounds have been used to investigate the curing behaviour of resol e phenol formaldehyde resins. These models have shown that an ortho quinone methide intermediate is very site specific, preferring to react at a free ortho site of phenols. This study also shows that phenoxy type bridges can be formed by ether exchange between a phenolic OH and an ether bridge. Thes e results help explain some of the structures observed in cured resins. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.