Raw materials for phenolic resins

Phenolic resins are prepared by condensation of phenolic compounds with aldehyde, commonly formaldehyde. Phenol was initially predominantly used to prepare phenolic resins, but subsequently, a greater variety of alkyl or aryl substituted phenols were explored to tailor the properties of resins by controlling functionality to meet diverse requirements of different coatings. An alkyl group substi- 

Formaldehyde is the most common aldehyde used for making phenolic resins. Formaldehyde, being a gas, is normally used as a 37 to 41 % aqueous solution (formalin) or as a solid in polymeric form (paraformaldehyde) that thermally decomposes to formaldehyde during reaction. For some special purposes, furfural or another complex aldehyde is also used. 

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The consumption of phenol rose noticeably after the 1920 s with the increase in its importance as a raw material for phenolic resins, for the manufacture of 8-capro-lactam and the production of bisphenol A. The oxidative conversion of cumene into phenol and acetone has proved to be an environmentally safe and economical process thus it gained an edge over the other processes and is presently the only phenol process operated on a worldwide scale. 

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