Thermal and Ablative Properties of Ipns and Composites of High Ortho Resole Resin and Difurfurylidene Acetone

High ortho resole resin was prepared by condensation of phenol with excess of formaldehyde in the presence of magnesium oxide as catalyst. Reaction of furfuraldehyde with acetone in basic medium led to difurfurylidene acetone (DFA). Their interpenetrating polymer network (IPNS) were obtained by the reaction of predetermined quantities of difurfurylidene acetone and high ortho resole using p-toluene sulphonic acid (PTSA) as curing agent. The thermal behavior of the resins was studied using thermogravimetry (TG) under ambient and nitrogen atmospheres over a temperature range of (25-1000 C º). It was observed that the IPN of 20 % DFA – 80 % resole has higher thermal stability than that of resole alone and the decomposition temperature was higher by 80 C º. This behavior was attributed to highly cross linked structure and thermally stable backbone of ploy difurfurylidene acetone due to formation of ladder structure. Impregnation of chopped fiber glass type (E) with the polymeric solutions was used to prepare their composites, and the ablative properties were investigated according to ASTM E-285 –80. It was observed that the IPN of (DFA- resol) perform better than the resole composite alone