The Chemistry of Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin Vulcanization of EPDM: Part I. Evidence for Methylene Crosslinks

Abstract The application of phenol-formaldehyde resins as crosslinking agents is increasing in importance due to the good high temperature properties of the corresponding vulcanizate and the use in thermoplastic vulcanizates. With respect to the chemistry of phenol-formaldehyde cure (reaction mechanism and structure of crosslink) there are still problems that have to be resolved. The reaction products of the phenol-formaldehyde resin curing of EPDM, contain 2-ethylidene norbornene (ENB) as the third monomer, have been studied. Since such an investigation is rather difficult to perform for the polymer system, a low molecular weight model for EPDM was used: 2-ethylidene norbornane (ENBH). Reaction of ENBH and a resole results in scission of the dimethylene ether bridges, i.e. in degradation of the resole into mono-, bis - and terisooctylphenol units. These are consequently converted into products, consisting of two ENBH molecules linked by mono-, bis - and terisooctylphenol units. The solid resole seems to be a technological solution for storing phenol in combination with formaldehyde. These results support the use of 2-hydroxymethylphenol (HMP) as a low molecular weight model for the resole. At low temperatures and/or short reaction times HMP oligomers (= resoles) and HMP oligomers linked to one ENBH molecule are formed, which are converted into ENBH/HMP (1:1) condensation products. The reaction products of ENBH with both the resole and HMP are shown to contain methylene linked structures, as demonstrated by the formation of monisooctylphenol crosslinks and the presence of residual unsaturation and hydroxyl groups, besides chroman linked structures. This is the first experimental evidence that during phenol-formaldehyde resin cure of rubber, formation of methylene bridges occurs.