PROPERTIES OF LAMINATED PLASTICS MADE 

FROM LIGNIN AND LIGNIN-PHENOLIC 

RESIN-IMPREGNATED PAPERS 

August 1944 

This Report is One of a Series 

Issued In Cooperation with the 

ARMY-NAVY-CIVILCOMMITTEE 

on 

AIRCRAFT DESIGN CRITERIA 

Under the Supervision of the 

AERONAUTICAL BOARD 

No. 1595 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

FOREST SERVICE 

FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY 

Madison, Wisconsin 

In Cooperation with the University ofWisconsin 
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PROPERTIES OF LAMINATED PLASTICS MADE FROM 

LIGNIN AND LIGNIN-PHENOLIC RESIN-IMPREGNATED PAPERS1 

By 

R. J. SEIDL, Associate Chemical Engineer 

H. K. BURR, Chemist 

C. N. FERGUSON, Technologist 

G. E. MACKIN, Associate Industrial Specialist 

Introduction 

The Forest Products Laboratory has previously reported2 preliminary 

experiments concerning the manufacture of lignin-filled laminates by the incorporation of a soda-pulp lignin into the paper-making furnish at the 

beater to yield paper suitable for molding into laminated plastics. 

This report is concerned with the development of plastic laminates 

from paper impregnated with solutions of lignin or mixtures of lignin and 

phenolic resins. Since lignin is potentially both abundant and inexpensive, 

the extension of phenolic resins with lignin is attractive provided the 

quality of the resultant plastic is not seriously reduced. The use of all­ lignin varnish impregnants for paper would not be so economical, however, as 

adding lignin to the beater, since this method eliminates costly items, such 

as refinement of lignin, the use of volatile solvents, and separate impregnation operations. The strength properties of all-lignin resin paper plastics made by either method are approximately the same, and are somewhat below 

those usually attained with all-phenolic resin. The use of resin varnishes made from mixtures of soda-pulp lignin and water-soluble phenolic resin in 

equal proportions, however, has occasionally yielded strength values 

approximately equal to those obtained by the use of either all water-soluble 

or all spirit-soluble phenolic resin. A balance of properties, particularly 

between water absorption and impact resistance, can be achieved by varying 

the proportion of lignin resin to phenolic resin or by the choice of solvent. 

The work reported herein is limited and is to be considered only as 

a preliminary survey to determine approximately the effect of certain major 

variables on the properties of lignin resin and lignin-phenolic-resin paperbase laminates. 

1This mimeograph is one of a series of progress reports prepared by the Forest Products Laboratory to further the Nation's war effort. Results here 

reported are preliminary and may be revised as additional data become 

available. 

2Forest Products Laboratory Restricted Mimeographs Nos. 1576, 1577, and 1579. 

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Materials, Processes and Methods 

Resins and Solvents 

The lignin resins used in this work were derived from soda-pulp process spent liquors, either by the Howard Smith Paper Mills (HSPM) or by the 

Mead Corporation (Meadol), or from waste sulfite liquor processed by the 

Marathon Chemical Company (VDP). Except as otherwise noted, the soda-process 

type of lignin is indicated when the term lignin is used unqualified. The 

phenolic resins used were of the phenol-formaldehyde thermosetting type and 

are identified in the tables. 

Resin solutions suitable for impregnating paper must have a viscosity 

and solids concentration such that the required amount of resin can be introduced into the laminating paper within the limits of control of the impregnating machine. Impregnants should also penetrate the sheet rapidly, and the 

solvent must not be so volatile that it evaporates before penetration is complete. It should, however, be volatile enough to insure its removal in the 

drying tunnel. 

In order to accommodate the wide range of resin content values and 

lignin-phenolic resin ratios desired in the laminates prepared in this study, 

it was necessary to use a considerable variety of solvent mixtures and Concentrations. Preliminary tests indicated roughly the range of viscosities 

and Concentrations that could be used to secure any desired resin content in 

the impregnated paper. A variety of solvent mixtures was tried in order to 

determine their suitability for the various lignin-phenolic resin mixtures. 

In general, the choice of solvents was based on the rate of penetration Of 

Solutions into a standard kraft paper. For lignin and for mixtures of lignin 

with water-soluble phenolic resin, an alcohol-acetone solvent was satisfactory, 

but when spirit-soluble phenolic resin 'was used, it was necessary to add 

Cellosolve, although this retarded the subsequent removal of the solvent in 

the drying tower. The addition of water, up to 35 percent, to the alcoholacetone-Cellosolve solvent lowered the viscosity and improved the penetration 

Of the solutions. It also decreased the cost of the solvent. 

Base Paper 

Panels referred to in table 1 were laminated from one of a group Of 

base papers (MR-2235, -2236, -2316) made on the Laboratory's experimental 

paper machine from commercial black spruce sulfate pulp. The laminates 

referred to in table 2 were made from a high-strength base paper (MR-2424) 

using a special experimental black spruce sulfate pulp made at the Laboratory. 

Impregnation and Laminating 

The base paper was resin-treated on the impregnating machine pictured 

in figure 1. Tho method or rate of resin application, speed of travel of the 

1595 -2-
paper, air velocity and air temperature in the drying tunnel were changed as 

required to obtain the desired final resin and volatile contents. Resin con­ tent was determined by the difference in weight between an area of the airdry paper and an equal area of the paper immediately after it emerged from 

the impregnator drying tunnel, expressed as a percentage of the treatedpaper weight. Volatile content as used in this report refers to the difference 

in weight between a resin-treated sheet immediately after it emerged from the 

impregnator drying tunnel and its weight after drying in an oven at 160° C. 

for 10 minutes, tho weight difference being expressed in percent of the first 

weight . 

In general, an early-condensed, (water-soluble) type of phenolic resin 

shoved advantages over a more advanced (spirit-soluble) resin for solutions 

incorporating lignin. Not only were better plastic properties obtained, but 

the difficulties of preparing solutions and of obtaining penetration during 

impregnations were minimized by the use of this type resin. Due to the wide 

variations in viscosity and other characteristics of the solutions it was 

frequently necessary to alter the solvents, change concentrations, and vary 

the techniques of impregnation to obtain the desired conditions. Some of 

these changes, made to overcome practical operating difficulties, may have 

partially obscured the effects of other variables. For example, the use of Cellosolve, to reduce the evaporative losses of the solvent and thereby 

permit more thorough penetration of the resin, showed evidence of being detrimental to tho bonding of the laminates if it was not almost completely removed 

in drying the sheet. Also, a loss in impact strength is known to accompany 

the use of water as a constituent of the resin solvent. 

The panels whose properties are recorded in table 1 were parallellaminated, and those in table 2 were cross-laminated. All panels were cooled der pressure in the laminating press. Two preliminary series were run to determine suitable cure conditions as well as to determine the maximum 

extension of phenolic resin which would permit the panel to be hot drawn from 

the press. 

Testing 

Toughness was determined on the Forest Products Laboratory intermediate capacity toughness machine using an unnotched specimen 7/16 inch 

wide by 3-1/2 inches long, tested on a span of 2-1/2 inches. The total 

energy required to break the specimen was divided by the specimen width and 

corrected by proportion to 0.125 inch thickness to obtain the values 

recorded in table 1. All other properties were obtained according to procedures set forth in "Proposed Federal Specification for Organic Plastics; 

General Specification (Methods of Physical Tests)" July 7, 1942 or superseding specifications. 

1595 -3-
Discussion of Results 

Data showing the effect of resin content (all lignin) (series 1), 

lignin-phenolic resin ratio (series 2), type of lignin (series 3), and laminating pressure (series 4) on the properties of the laminates using paper 

made from commercial sulfate pulp are given in table 1. Table 2 presents a 

comparison of properties obtained in the plastics when aqueous and nonaqueous solvents were used in impregnating a special Forest Products Laboratory 

experimental paper with Meadol lignin and phenolic-resin mixtures. 

The effects of resin content (all lignin) of the plastic, as shown in 

series 1, were determined to aid in the choice of limits of the amount to be 

used in the subsequent study of lignin-phenolic ratios. A loss of about 15 

percent in ultimate tensile strength and about 9 percent in tensile modulus 

of elasticity was observed as the resin content was increased from 25 to 40 

percent. The water absorption was decreasad from 13.6 to 7.5 percent within 

the same range. Some delamination was observed when 25 percent resin was 

used, but the flow and bonding were improved at higher values. The strength 

properties obtained at 36 percent resin content were approximately equal to 

those usually obtained from the all lignin-filled laminates referred to 

previously. 

The data in series 2 indicate that the water-soluble phenolic resin 

can be extended to a mixture containing about 60 percent lignin with no 

appreciable change in the resultant properties. Beyond this extension there 

was 

a general impairment of all properties except toughness, which was increased. 

Extending the resin mixture from 60 percent to 90 percent lignin caused a 

decrease in the maximum compressive strength of about 33 percent, and in the 

maximum tensile strength, about 12 percent over the same range. When 33 

percent lignin was used the water absorption was 1.5 percent; at 71 percent 

lignin it had increased to only 1.8 percent, but at 100 percent lignin it 

had increased to 9.6 percent, showing that the water resistance was greatly 

impaired as an all-lignin resin was approached. The toughness followed a 

similar pattern; that is, it was substantially constant up to about 70 percent. 

lignin and then increased rapidly upon further extension of the phenolic 

resin. Over the range of extension of 50 to 100 percent lignin in the resin 

mixture, the toughness increased from 14.3 to 48.9 inch-pounds per inch of 

width. The specific gravity of the panel made with all water-soluble phenolic 

resin was only 1.33, showing that under the conditions used, 500 pounds per 

square inch laminating pressure was insufficient to completely densify the 

paper which has been swollen by the water solvent.3 Tho high volatile content 

of plastic No. 2235-22 was probably due to residual Cellosolve in the plastic 

that may have been detrimental to the bonding as previously indicated. 

3Subsequent to this research, it has been shown by British investigators 

that paper impregnated with a water-soluble resin can be laminated at 

lower pressures if it has been calendered after impregnation and drying, 

or if the base paper has been pretreated with a small amount of resin, 

calendered, and then cured before the main impregnation. 

1595 -4-
When spirit-soluble phenolic resin was extended with lignin over the same range of percentages, the properties were, in general, slightly 

inferior to those obtained with the water-soluble type resin, and, as the 

lignin content was increased, the strength properties were reduced, except 

toughness which passed through a minimum because of an abnormal initial 

value. It is known that a loss in impact strength accompanies the use of 

water in the phenolic-resin solvent and it was to this effect that the minimum was attributed. When the phenolic resin was extended up to 80 percent 

lignin the water absorption was increased from 1.8 to 6.6 percent. Better 

water resistance for an equal amount of phenolic resin was obtained by using 

the water-soluble phenolic resin. When a spirit-soluble phenolic resin was 

used, the ultimate tensile strength was decreased from 31,840 pounds per 

square inch with 100 percent phenolic to 23,880 pounds per square inch with 

20 percent phenolic resin, and the modulus of elasticity in tension was 

decreased from 2,636,000 to 2,281,000 pounds per square inch over the same 

range. Extending the spirit-soluble phenolic resin to 60 percent lignin 

reduced the maximum edgewise compressive strength by about 40 percent and 

lowered the modulus of elasticity in compression by about 9 percent. 

A series of panels was made to determine the limiting lignin-phenolic 

resin ratio which would permit hot drawing from the press without blistering. 

The series showed that water-soluble phenolic resin could be extended up to 

about 60 percent lignin, and that with spirit-soluble phenolic resin the 

approximate limiting amount, was about 50 percent . Some tendency to delaminate 

was observed in the panels made with highly extended spirit-soluble phenolic 

resin. It was not determined to what extent this may have been caused by the 

use of Cellosolve in the solvent. 

A limited amount of work was done to compare three different commercial lignins. The data obtained on only three panels, each made with a resin 

containing 50 percent of a different lignin are given in series 3. Variations 

in the results may be due to the different solvents used, to the limitations 

of the data, to differences in the commercial lignins, or to a combination of 

these factors. 

As shown in series 4, when mixtures of lignin and water-soluble 

phenolic resin in equal proportions were used, the effect of increasing laminating pressure in the range of 250 to 500 pounds per square inch was to 

reduce the toughness slightly, although the change in other properties was 

not appreciable. This was also true for a 90 to 10 proportion of lignin to 

water-soluble phenolic resin although the water absorption was decreased from 

6.2 to 4.1 as tho pressure was increased from 250 to 500 pounds per square 

inch. When a 90 percent lignin-10 percent spirit-soluble phenolic resin 

mixture was used, the ultimate tensile strength was increased. from 20,920 

to 23,770 pounds per square inch, the maximum compressive strength from 

11,450 to 13,380 pounds per square inch, and the modulus of elasticity in 

tension from 2,196,000 to 2,431,000 pounds per square inch as the laminating 

pressure was increased from 250 to 500 pounds per square inch. 

1595 -5-
A laminating pressure of 250 pounds per square inch was not sufficient 

to compress the paper containing pure lignin beyond a specific gravity of 

about 1.22 in the plastic, resulting in poor bonding and also a high water 

absorption. The use of 500 pounds per square inch pressure was required to 

produce a laminate with a specific gravity of 1.36. 

The importance of the effect of resin solvent is shown in table 2, 

representing the use of both aqueous and non-aqueous solvents for each of two 

lignin and water-soluble phenolic rosin ratios. In the 50 to 50 resin proportion the increased resin penetration into the paper due to the swelling 

action of the aqueous solvent probably accounts for the lowered water 

absorption from 2.2 to 0.9 percent. The maximum compressive strength was 

increased from 24,640 to 27,240 pounds per square inch, but the flatwise Izod 

impact strength was reduced from 4.28 to 1.93 foot-pounds per inch of notch. 

The same trends were found when the 75 to 25 lignin to phenolic-resin ratio 

was used, although all properties excepting impact strength were reduced because of the greater extension of the phenolic resin. 

The dimensional change in thickness upon 24-hour water immersion when 

using a 50 to 50 lignin to water-soluble phenolic-resin mixture was only 0.64 

percent as compared with 1.1 percent when pure water-soluble phenolic resin 

was used, and 2.18 percent when pure spirit-soluble phenolic resis was used. 

not determined why the water absorption was so low and the dimensional 

stability was so high. Further work must be done to establish this effect 

more fully. 

A comparison of panels made with pure phenolic resin, and the extended 

phenolic-resin materials of table 2, showed that by changing the amount of 

lignin or choosing an aqueous or nonaqueous solvent the resultant properties 

could be varied over a wide range, especially the properties of impact 

resistance, dimensional stability, and water absorption. 

The properties of plastic made with a 50 percent lignin and 50 percent 

water-soluble phenolic resin diluted with a nonaqueous solvent (No. 2424-6) 

were approximately equal to those obtained with pure spirit-soluble resin. 

When an aqueous solvent was used (No. 2424-7) the properties obtained 

approximated those encountered when pure water-soluble phenolic resin was used. 

Conclusions 

The following conclusions can be drawn from the data obtained on 

plastics made under the conditions described: 

1. Water-soluble phenolic resin can be extended with as much as 60 

percent soda-pulp-process lignin without appreciably altering the properties 

of the resultant plastic. 

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2. Spirit-soluble phenolic resin can be extended with soda-pulpprocess lignin, but the tensile and compressive strength values decrease 

with an increase in the percentage of lignin. The toughness was increased 

as the lignin portion of the resin mixture was increased from 33 to 100 

percent. 

3. satisfactory laminates can be made using 250 pounds per square 

inch laminating pressure when phenolic resins are extended with lignin up 

to about 50 percent, but when higher percentages of lignin are used, 

laminating pressures of 500 or more poounds per square inch may be required. 

4. The properties of laminates made with soda-pulp-process ligninextended water-soluble phenolic resins can be varied over a considerable 

range by the use of aqueous or nonaqueous dilutents. Impact strength, water 

absorption, and dimensional stability are the properties affected most by 

the solvent. 

1595 -7 -


Figure 1.--The Forest Products Laboratory resin 

impregnator and dryer, for preparing Z M 56573 F laminating paper.