njit-etd1961-002 - New Jersey Institute of Technology

INTRODUCTIONFormaldehyde is produced by the catalytic oxidationof pure, synthetic methanol.The most important commercial use for formaldehydeis the ever-growing resin industry. When reacted withvinyls, aniline, phenols, it gives resins of both thethermosetting and thermoplastic types. These resins findvery wide application in the production of molded partsfor electrical appliances and varnishes.Beside its importance in resins, formaldehyde isan outstanding reactant in the synthesis of organicchemicals, and in the modification of proteins. Itsother commercial uses are in agriculture for the controlof plant diseases, in disinfectants, and in the textile,leather, metal, and paper industries.The outstanding and ever-growing importance offormaldehyde as a commercial chemical, its diversifiedapplications and its many unique characteristics havecreated a definite need for a critical and systematicevaluation of the thermodynamic properties of pure monomericgaseous formaldehyde. This investigation is presented inthe hope of fulfilling this need.