CSR
Bac2’s CSR latent acid catalysts can be added to highly reactive pre-polymeric resins to enable them to be stored prior to controlled polymerisation at around 120 degrees C. This is a much lower temperature, and therefore a lower energy process, than that required by alternative catalysts.
CSR was originally developed for use with ElectroPhen, where it can be used to delay the polymerisation process for at least 3 months, without significantly changing the characteristics of the processed polymer. CSR also enables safer transportation and storage of the bulk materials and reduces handling costs.
Applications
Pre-polymeric resins catalysed by acids include phenol-formaldehyde resoles, furfuryl alcohol resins and amino-formaldehyde resins. They are widely used in everyday products. There are many hundreds of applications including:
- Manufacture of chipboard and laminates
- Composites in glass-reinforced plastics
- Manufacture of foam insulation
- Manufacture of abrasives
The ability to control the reactivity of a pre-polymer-catalyst system is crucial for safety and processing economics. Thermosetting resins can be violently reactive when mixed with strong acids and dangerous exothermic reactions can result. Furfuryl alcohol, for example, is a reactive pre-polymer component in varnishes, binders and composites. Like other thermosetting pre-polymers, furfuryl alcohol reacts violently when acidified, restricting its use to applications where acids are not used or where bulk preparation and storage is not important.
CSR harnesses the reactivity of pre-polymers to reduce materials handling and processing costs, and enable the use of a wider range of pre-polymers in industrial applications.
