sceptic
Harmless
Posts: 49
Registered: 7-6-2022
Location: Southern Africa
Member Is Offline
|
|
Phenol from styrene?
Just as a disclaimer, I don't know very much about organic chemistry. I'm interested in making vitreous carbon, for which I would need a
phenol-formaldehyde resin. I don't have any phenol, and I don't think I can buy it here. I could make phenol from aspirin, but I'd rather try to use
the materials I have before I buy any chemicals.
The simplest chemical I have that contains a benzene ring is polystyrene, which I could convert to styrene. Is there any way to (relatively easily)
convert styrene to phenol, or should I just go the aspirin route?
|
|
|
paulll
Hazard to Self
Posts: 99
Registered: 1-5-2018
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's fine. Really.
|
|
I doubt there's a route from styrene to phenol that doesn't involve a longer and more elusive shopping list than,"acetone, HCl, aspirin."
Just go the aspirin route.
|
|
|
j_sum1
Administrator
Posts: 6218
Registered: 4-10-2014
Location: Unmoved
Member Is Offline
Mood: Organised
|
|
Pyrolysis of polystyrene gives styrene.
Oxidation then gives benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde then benzoic acid.
You need to knock off that extra carbon to get phenol. I doubt this is your simplest route.
|
|
|
sceptic
Harmless
Posts: 49
Registered: 7-6-2022
Location: Southern Africa
Member Is Offline
|
|
Okay, it looks like I'll have to use the aspirin route, thanks!
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
