OCCA Weekly Webinar - Waterborne Formaldehyde-free Phenolic Resins
Venue: Webinar
Date: Wednesday 1st July 2026
Time: 14:30 – 15:30
OCCA Weekly Webinars Series 19 continues with "Waterborne Formaldehyde-free Phenolic Resins" presented by Andreas Hermes of allnex Germany GmbH. The webinar will take place via Zoom on Wednesday 1 July at 2:30pm.
Abstract:
Waterborne Phenolic resins are well-known and eco-friendly versions of traditional, solvent-borne phenolic resins for many decades. They’re diluted by water as solvent to reduce VOCs and keep offering excellent heat and chemical resistance, adhesion, and hardness for their usage in coatings, adhesives or composites. Phenolic-based coatings enhance corrosion resistance by providing additional benefits like improved dimensional stability and flame-retardancy, and waterborne solutions enable the replacement of traditional solvent-based systems for better environmental compliance.
Over the recent years, formaldehyde as main polymer constituent got more severe classifications as suspected carcinogen and genotoxic properties across the globe. This even impacts waterborne phenolic resins towards handling during their production or following processing steps, but also the use of such resins in final products. For some applications related to health and safety there is the intention to replace formaldehyde completely by less severe components, even though it is a natural occurring substance in the environment. However, for the synthesis of phenolic resins the switch to alternative aldehydes remains challenging due to reactivity constraints and more prominent side reactions.
We will outline the synthesis pathway for formaldehyde-free phenolic resins using alternative aldehydes, addressing the challenging demands of synthesis in conjunction with the advantages of water-based solutions.
Speaker Profile - Andreas Hermes - Technical Service & Business Development Manager EMEA (Automotive & Transportation), allnex Germany GmbH
Andreas Hermes worked after the end of his apprenticeship for several years in the field of application technology for Can & Coil-Coatings at Hoechst AG and successors (Vianova, Solutia and CYTEC). In 2007, he moved into R&D in the area of automotive components at a coatings manufacturer with a focus on corrosion protection. In 2012, he joined a German Carbon Black producer as Technical Market Manager for Coatings Applications, before he came back to the application technology department for Can & Coil Coatings at ALLNEX in 2015. Now, Andreas is responsible for the Technical Service of Amino and Phenolic resins in the EMEA region.
Speaker Profile - Dr Ines Freudensprung - Senior Synthesis Manager EMEA, allnex Germany GmbH
Dr Ines Freudensprung is a polymer chemist by education. She completed her B.Sc. at the University of Bayreuth, her M.Sc. at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and her Ph.D. studies at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz.
Her international research experience includes a six-month stay at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, and a five-month research stay at the University of Florida in Gainesville, USA.
Dr Freudensprung joined allnex approximately 10 years ago at the Wiesbaden site, where she has held various roles within the R&D department.
