Carbonization of crosslinked furane polymers

Abstract

It is well known that furfurol undergoes polycondensation with aldehydes and ketones and acid or alkaline catalysts to form resins [1]. Information [2,3] is given concerning polycondensation of furfurol with acetone using various catalysts. Furfurol-acetone polymers, resistant to acids and alkalies, are being used in the manufacture of moulding powders, lacquers, glues, and high-density structural materials [4]. Furane resins are beginning to be used in synthetic graphite production mainly for impregnation [5,6]. Synthetic graphite manufacture is based on the formation of carbon during carbonization of an organic substance. It has been pointed out in several papers [7–9, etc.], that carbon structure formation and the ability to graphitize at high temperature have been observed in the early stages of carbonization (300–600°). In this respect it is of interest to study the carbonization of several furane polymers with different initial structures, up to now not widely investigated.