Modified phenolic resins for making composite products

1. A method for making a composite product, comprising:

contacting a plurality of cellulosic sheets with a resin composition comprising a phenolic resin and a monosaccharide, wherein the resin composition comprises about 0.5 wt % to about 30 wt % of the monosaccharide, based on a combined weight of the phenolic resin and the monosaccharide;

partially curing the resin composition to produce a post-formable laminate;

heating the post-formable laminate to a temperature of about 118° C. to about 220° C.; and

bending the post-formable laminate at the temperature of about 118° C. to about 220° C. to produce a post-formed composite product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monosaccharide comprises glyceraldehyde, erythrose, threose, erythrulose, ribose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose; ribulose, arabulose, xylulose, lyxulose, glucose, mannose, galactose, allose, altrose, talose, gulose, idose, fructose, psicose, dendroketose, sorbose, tagatose, gentiobiose, sedoheptulose, or any mixture thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monosaccharide comprises glucose.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenolic resin comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1:1 to about 4:1.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin composition has a viscosity of about 75 cP to about 350 cP at a temperature of 25° C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein partially curing the resin composition comprises heating the plurality of cellulosic sheets contacted with the resin composition to a temperature of about 100° C. to about 250° C. for about 5 seconds to about 150 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cellulosic sheets comprises delignified cellulose fibers, wherein the resin composition comprises about 3 wt % to about 15 wt % of the monosaccharide, based on the combined weight of the phenolic resin and the monosaccharide, and wherein the phenolic resin comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 4:1.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenolic resin comprises a first phenol-formaldehyde resin and a second phenol-formaldehyde resin, and wherein a phenol to formaldehyde molar ratio of the first phenol-formaldehyde resin is different than a phenol to formaldehyde molar ratio of the second phenol-formaldehyde resin.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenolic resin comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 4:1, wherein the resin composition has a viscosity of about 30 cP to about 500 cP at a temperature of 25° C., wherein the resin composition comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 25 wt % of the monosaccharide, based on the combined weight of the phenolic resin and the monosaccharide, and wherein the composite product has a formaldehyde emission of 10 mg/L or less, as measured according to Desiccator Method ISO/DIS 12460-4.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cellulosic sheets comprises kraft paper, wherein the phenolic resin comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 3:1, wherein the resin composition has a viscosity of about 60 cP to about 300 cP at a temperature of 25° C., wherein the resin composition comprises about 4 wt % to about 7.5 wt % of the monosaccharide, based on the combined weight of the phenolic resin and the monosaccharide, wherein the monosaccharide comprises glucose, and wherein the composite product has a formaldehyde emission of 6.7 ppm or less, as measured according to Desiccator Method ISO/DIS 12460-4.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin composition is partially cured by contacting the resin composition with one or more acids, one or more bases, one or more catalysts, or any mixture thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of cellulosic sheets comprises delignified cellulose fibers,

the resin composition comprises about 4 wt % to about 8 wt % of the monosaccharide, based on the combined weight of the phenolic resin and the monosaccharide,

the phenolic resin comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 4:1, and

the post-formable laminate is bent along a cross-direction or a machine direction of the post-formable laminate to produce a post-formed composite product having a bend that has a radius of 4 mm or less, based on the procedure of NEMA test 3.14 from Standard NEMA Publications Book LD3-2005.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the post-formable laminate is bent along a cross-direction of the post-formable laminate to produce a post-formed composite product having a 90° bend without any cracking or crazing, wherein the 90° bend has a radius of 3.175 mm or less, based on the procedure of NEMA test 3.14 from Standard NEMA Publications Book LD3-2005.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the post-formable laminate is bent along a machine direction of the post-formable laminate to produce a post-formed composite product having a 90° bend without any cracking or crazing, wherein the 90° bend has a radius of 1 mm or less, based on the procedure of NEMA test 3.14 from Standard NEMA Publications Book LD3-2005.

15. A method for making a composite product, comprising:

contacting a plurality of cellulosic sheets with a resin composition comprising a phenol-formaldehyde resin and glucose, wherein the phenol-formaldehyde resin has a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 4:1 and a viscosity of about 30 cP to about 500 cP at a temperature of 25° C.;

partially curing the resin composition to produce a post-formable laminate;

heating the post-formable laminate to a temperature of about 135° C. to about 220° C. for about 3 seconds to about 60 seconds; and

bending the post-formable laminate at the temperature of about 135° C. to about 220° C. to produce a post-formed composite product.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the resin composition comprises about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % of the glucose, based on the combined weight of the phenol-formaldehyde resin and the glucose, and wherein the plurality of lignocellulosic sheets comprises delignified cellulose fibers.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein bending the post-formable laminate forms a bend along a cross-direction or a machine direction of the post-formable laminate that has a radius of 3.175 mm or less, based on the procedure of NEMA test 3.14 from Standard NEMA Publications Book LD3-2005.

18. A composite product, comprising:

a plurality of cellulosic sheets, and

a cured resin composition, wherein the cured resin composition, prior to curing, comprises one or more phenolic resins and about 0.5 wt % to about 30 wt % of one or more monosaccharides, based on a combined weight of the one or more phenolic resins and the one or more monosaccharides, wherein the composite product comprises a bend having a radius of 4 mm or less along a cross-direction or a machine direction of the composite product, based on the procedure of NEMA test 3.14 from Standard NEMA Publications Book LD3-2005.

19. The composite product of claim 18 , wherein:

the plurality of cellulosic sheets comprises delignified cellulose fibers,

the one or more phenolic resins comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 4:1,

the resin composition comprises about 4 wt % to about 8 wt % of the one or more monosaccharides, based on the combined weight of the one or more phenolic resins and the one or more monosaccharides, and

the one or more monosaccharides comprises glucose.

20. The composite product of claim 18 , wherein:

the plurality of cellulosic sheets comprises kraft paper,

the one or more phenolic resins comprises a phenol-formaldehyde resin having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of about 1.1:1 to about 4:1,

the resin composition comprises about 4 wt % to about 8 wt % of the one or more monosaccharides, based on the combined weight of the one or more phenolic resins and the one or more monosaccharides, and

the one or more monosaccharides comprises glucose.