Increasing health concerns over the use in refractory applications of ‘coal tar pitch’ based materials, such as “coal tar pitch high temperature heat-treated” (CTPHTHT) have magnified focus on readily available alternatives, such as phenolic resins. This article describes how phenolic resins have been successfully used in the refractory sector over a number of decades and how their three-dimensional isotropic structure, often referred to as ‘glassy carbon’, provides particular benefits.
European Phenolic Resins Association