The Influence of Composition of Raw Materials on Formation of Phenolic Resin from Cashew Nut Shell Waste (CNSW)

Abstract

Phenolic resin can be formed from the powder of cashew nut shell waste (CNSW), phenoland sulfuric acid. In this study, the powder of CNSW, phenol and sulfuric acid were mixed withvarious ratios in the reactions for formation of phenolic resin at 150oC during 180 minutes. Theformation of phenolic resin was evaluated by the non-reactive residue of CNSW, which was used tofind the best composition. The molecular mass and the separation of the constituents in the sampleswere also identified by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The samples with optimizedcomposition were characterized molecular structures and functional groups using Fourier transforminfrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).