Phenolic resin compositions as binders in refractory articles

A liquid phenolic resin composition for use as a binder for a refractory article, the phenolic resin composition comprising a phenol formaldehyde resin and one or more vapor suppressant(s) selected from the group consisting of magnesium containing compound;

• manganese-containing compound;
• iron-containing compound;
• cobalt-containing compound;
• nickel-containing compound;
• copper-containing compound;
• tin-containing compound;
• phosphorus-containing compound;
• silicon containing compound, wherein the silicon containing compound excludes silane;
• aluminum-containing compound;
• zinc-containing compound;
• molybdenum-containing compound;
• boron-containing compound;
• zirconium-containing compound;
• vanadium-containing compound;
• chromium-containing compound, calcium-containing compound, tungsten-containing compound, titanium-containing compound, niobium-containing compound, cerium-containing compound and mixtures thereof, and the phenolic resin composition comprises the one or more vapor suppressant(s) in an amount of 0.01 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the phenolic resin composition;
• and
• wherein the phenolic resin composition has
• a) a pH of from 7 to less than 11;
• b) a nonvolatile content is 65 wt. % to 85 wt. %;
• c) a free formaldehyde of less than about 0.3 wt. %;
• d) a viscosity of from 4500 cPs to 6500 cPs, and as measured with a Brookfield RVF viscometer using a No. 1 spindle at 20 rpm, at 25° C.;
• e) the phenol formaldehyde resin has a 0.5 to 1.5 parts of alkaline hydroxide or weak base per 60 to 80 parts of phenol;
• and
• f) a vaporization percentage of phenol of less than a vaporization percentage of
• Reference Sample R-1, wherein the vaporization percentage of phenol of Reference Sample R-1 is 4.1%, wherein the vaporization percentage of phenol is measured by the following steps:
• (a) curing 5 grams of liquid resin at 170° C. for 5 hours to form a solid;
• (b) cooling the solid to room temperature and then weighing 1 gram of the solid;
• (c) heating the 1 gram of solid in a tube furnace from room temperature to 1000° C. at 15° C./minute, and then being held at 1000° C. under an inert atmosphere for 10 minutes to form a vaporized composition;
• (d) collecting the vaporized composition that vaporizes off from the solid in step (c);
• (e) quantifying the amount of phenol that vaporized from the solid in step (c);
• and
• (f) determining the amount of the vaporized phenol as a percentage of the 1 gram of cooled solid in step (b),
• wherein the Reference Sample R-1 is a phenolic resin composition having a molar ratio of formaldehyde to phenol of 1.2, a pH of from about 7-10 pH and a viscosity of from 4500 cPs-6500 cPs.