LAUSR

Suitability of lignin–phenol–formaldehyde (LPF) resoles was investigated for manufacturing paper-based high-pressure laminates. As lignin source, pine kraft lignin and spruce sodium lignosulfonate were compared, substituting 40 wt% of phenol by lignin in each case. The synthesized resins were characterized for their viscosity development, solid content, pH, free formaldehyde as well as free phenol content and B-time. Paper-based high-pressure laminates were manufactured using the two different resins. The laminates were exposed to different test climates and were compared for boiling water resistance, thickness swelling, bending properties and impact energy. The results indicate that pine kraft lignin performs superior to spruce sodium lignosulfonate for utilization in paper based laminates for outdoor usage due to a lower affinity of the pine kraft LPF laminates to water.