Lignin-based phenolic resin modified with whisker silicon and its application

Abstract

In this study, lignin-based phenolic resin was modified with whisker silicon and preparation of the phenolic foam was carried out. The resin and foam materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA), thermal conductivity test, limit oxygen index (LOI) analyzer and cone calorimeter. The results showed that when the content of lignin and whisker silicon increased, the oxygen index of the foam increases and the calorific value of combustion decreased. However, if the amount of lignin increased, the open porosity of the foam and the thermal conductivity increased. When the lignin substitution rate was 30% and the whisker silicon addition amount was 1%, the phenolic foam (PF4) had the best performance: the 57.1% mass lost at 600 °C and the thermal stability was 16.8% higher than that of ordinary resin. The LOI was 49.6%, and 39.3% higher than that of ordinary phenolic foam.