Method of recycling phenol resin-containing materials, especially phenol resin-based fibre composite materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for degradation of a phenolic resin-containing material, characterized in that the phenolic resin-containing material is subjected to an aminolysis with a reagent containing at least one amino group, as well as a method for synthesis and degradation of a phenolic resin-containing material, characterized in that the phenolic resin-containing material is created by curing the starting components at a temperature of less than 140° C. and is subjected to aminolysis with a reagent containing at least one amino group for the purpose of degradation. In addition the inventors have discovered a method for producing a novolak that can be partially or completely degraded by aminolysis, comprising the steps: (a) reacting a phenolic component with an aldehyde in the presence of (i) an acid, (ii) an amine curing agent and (iii) a triglyceride or a triglyceride mixture, and (b) curing the resin obtained according to (a) at a temperature of ≤180° C., preferably ≤140° C. And finally, the invention relates to a method for reusing a phenolic resin-containing material comprising degradation of the material by aminolysis, wherein a liquid and optional components remaining in the solid state are formed, in the case of components remaining in the solid state, these components are separated from the liquid, the liquid is treated to remove volatile products, preferably under a reduced pressure and/or at an elevated temperature, forming a nonvolatile residue, mixing the nonvolatile residue with the starting materials required for synthesis of a phenolic resin or with one or more compounds selected from monomers, oligomers or polymers having at least two functional groups which react with amino groups and/or hydroxyl groups.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.