Suitability of a lignin-derived mono-phenol mimic to replace phenol in phenol-formaldehyde resin for use in wood treatment

The goal of this study was to assess the suitability of a single mono-aromatic for substitution of petroleum-based phenol for phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin synthesis and the usage of a new resin for wood treatment. After proper thermal decomposition of wood-based lignin, pyrolysis oil can be obtained. Due to the heterogeneity of the lignin macromolecule, oil contains large variety of organic-based compounds, mainly mono-aromatics, which are proposed to be used for replacement of phenol during PF resin synthesis. Therefore, for this purpose, nine of the most abundant mono-aromatic compounds in bio-oil were selected: ortho-, meta-, para-cresol, guaiacol, catechol, 4-methylcatechol, resorcinol, syringol, 4-ethylphenol and resol-type resin from each mono-aromatic were synthesized. Relevant features of the resin such as pH, viscosity, average molecular weight and curing behavior of resins using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were analyzed. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood samples were used to evaluate the suitability of resin for wood treatment in terms of dimensional stability and were compared with the PF resin-treated wood. From all tested resins, those made of guaiacol or ortho-, or meta-, or para-cresol and/or 4-ethylphenol proved to be suitable for wood treatment, whereas resins made of catechol or 4-methylguaiacol and syringol did not. Suitability of mono-aromatics for synthesis of resol-type resin depends on chemical structure, where the reactivity of the mono-aromatic (derivative of hydroxybenzene) is defined by the type, location and number of substituents.