Preparation of phenol-formaldehyde resin beads using suspension or emulsion polymerization

1. A method for making polymer particles in gel form via emulsion or suspension polymerization, the method comprising:

reacting a first reaction mixture comprising a phenolic monomer, an aldehyde monomer, and a first catalyst to produce a prepolymer;

combining the prepolymer with a carrier fluid and a second catalyst to produce a second reaction mixture, wherein the second catalyst comprises a dicarboxylic acid, an anhydride, a dihydroxybenzene, or any mixture thereof; and

polymerizing the prepolymer to form polymer particles in gel form.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second catalyst comprises maleic anhydride, resorcinol, or a mixture thereof.

3. The method claim 1 , wherein the phenolic monomer comprises phenol, a first dihydroxybenzene, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the second catalyst comprises maleic anhydride, a second dihydroxybenzene, or a mixture thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the polymer particles in gel form have a molar ratio of phenol to the first dihydroxybenzene of about 50:1 to about 5:1.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenolic monomer comprises phenol, resorcinol, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the second catalyst comprises maleic anhydride, resorcinol, or a mixture thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein about 50% or more of the polymer particles in gel form have an average cross-sectional length greater than or equal to 0.5 mm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first catalyst comprises ammonia, dimethylethanolamine, ethylenediamine, triethylamine, trimethylamine, tripropylamine, diethylethanolamine, hexamethylenetetramine, lithium carbonate, or any mixture thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises mineral oil, vegetable oil, or a mixture thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid has a viscosity of about 0.5 cP to about 400 cP at a temperature of 25° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aldehyde monomer comprises formaldehyde.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prepolymer has a molar ratio of the phenolic monomer to the aldehyde monomer of about 0.1:1 to about 1.5:1.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulsion or suspension polymerization comprises less than 1 wt % of any surfactant, based on the total weight of the carrier fluid.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer particles in gel form are made via the emulsion process, and wherein the emulsion process is an inverse emulsion process.

14. A method for making polymer particles in gel form via emulsion or suspension polymerization, the method comprising:

reacting a first reaction mixture comprising a phenolic monomer and formaldehyde in the presence of a first catalyst to produce a prepolymer, wherein the phenolic monomer comprises phenol, resorcinol, or a mixture thereof;

combining a carrier fluid and a second catalyst with the prepolymer to form an emulsion or a suspension, wherein the second catalyst comprises an anhydride, a dihydroxybenzene, or a mixture thereof; and

polymerizing the prepolymer in the emulsion or suspension to produce polymer particles in gel form.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first reaction mixture is reacted at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 200° C. to produce the prepolymer, and wherein the prepolymer is polymerized in the emulsion or suspension at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 200° C., and wherein the first catalyst comprises ammonia, dimethylethanolamine, ethylenediamine, triethylamine, trimethylamine, tripropylamine, diethylethanolamine, hexamethylenetetramine, lithium carbonate, or any mixture thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first reaction mixture further comprises acetic acid, formic acid, nitric acid, citric acid, methane sulfonic acid, or any mixture thereof, and wherein the first reaction mixture has a pH of about 1 to about 5.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the emulsion or suspension further comprises acetic acid, formic acid, nitric acid, citric acid, methane sulfonic acid, or any mixture thereof, and wherein the emulsion or suspension has a pH of about 1 to about 5.

18. A method for making an aerogel, comprising:

making a prepolymer from a first reaction mixture comprising a phenolic monomer, formaldehyde, and a first catalyst, wherein the phenolic monomer comprises phenol, a first dihydroxybenzene, or a mixture thereof, and wherein the first catalyst comprises ammonia, dimethylethanolamine, ethylenediamine, triethylamine, trimethylamine, tripropylamine, diethylethanolamine, hexamethylenetetramine, lithium carbonate, or any mixture thereof;

combining the prepolymer with a carrier fluid and a second catalyst comprising maleic anhydride, a second dihydroxybenzene, or a mixture a mixture thereof to form an emulsion or suspension;

polymerizing the prepolymer in the emulsion or suspension to form polymer particles in gel form, wherein about 40% or more of the polymer particles in gel form have an average cross-sectional length greater than or equal to 1 mm; and

drying the polymer particles in gel form to produce an aerogel.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises mineral oil, vegetable oil, or a mixture thereof, wherein the prepolymer has a molar ratio of the phenolic monomer to the aldehyde monomer of about 0.1:1 to about 1.5:1, wherein the prepolymer is polymerized in the emulsion to form the polymer particles in gel form, and wherein the emulsion is an inverse emulsion.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the polymer particles in gel form are dried by supercritical extraction, freeze drying, air drying, or any combination thereof.