Phenolic Resin for Refractories

Refractories are used in furnaces and boilers that process steel, cement, or glass as well as incinerators that operate at high temperatures. A variety of binders is used when refractories are manufactured. In this chapter, the use of phenolic resin as a binder for refractories is described. There are several factors that support the use of phenolic resins in comparison to other refractory binders. These include the following: 1. Both adhesion and green body strength are high. 2. It is a thermosetting resin system whose strength on curing is high, and the size and stability of the resulting refractory component are good. 3. The ratio of fixed carbon is high and maintains high strength on carbonization. Phenolic resins are the preferred binder for carbon containing refractories. 4. The hazardous properties and industrial environmental issues are lower than those associated with the use of pitch binder.