Patent ID: 7671097

Claim:
A method for making a storage stable aqueous dispersion of a phenolic resin, said method comprising: (a) reacting an aromatic alcohol and an aldehyde in the presence of an oxide or hydroxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal as the primary catalyst to form a heat reactive phenolic resin containing less than about 5% by weight free aldehyde; (b) adding a coupling solvent to said heat reactive phenolic resin to form a phenolic resin solution; (c) adding melamine to said phenolic resin solution in an amount of about 1 to about 10 molar equivalents per mole of free aldehyde sufficient to react with said free aldehyde and yield a phenolic resin solution having a reduced content of free aldehyde; and (d) adding polyvinyl alcohol as a protective colloid and water to said phenolic resin solution to form said storage stable dispersion from said phenolic resin solution having a reduced content of free aldehyde.