Saucepan handles

The newer improved heat-resistant grades are finding use in saucepan handles, saucepan lid knobs, lamp housings, cooker handles, welding tongs and electric iron parts. 

Phenolics. Phenol-formaldehyde (Bakelite) is one of the oldest synthetic materials available. It is a strong, hard, brittle material with good creep resistance and excellent electrical properties. Unfortunately the material is only available in dark colours and it is susceptible to attack by alkalis and oxidising agents. Typical applications are domestic electrical fittings, saucepan handles, fan blades, smoothing iron handles and pump parts. 

Major applications Phenolics can be cast into rod, tubes and sheet and foamed. They can be impregnated into paper and cloth. Electrical insulation, plugs and switches, radio and television housings, telephones, cameras (e.g. Kodak s Brownie 127), fuse box covers, bushings, gears, beads, knife handles, paperweights, billiard balls, saucepan handles and knobs, panelling (as foam). 

Bakelite is little used today due to cost, complexity of production and its brittleness. It is used for precision-shaped components including saucepan handles and electrical switches. 

Saucepan handles to be kept within the area of the top of the stove (danger of scalding). 

Phenolic is a Ihermoset. That is why it is chosen for saucepan handles. Melamine is a thermoset too. 

Bulk applications of PF resins utilize novolaks in formulations designed for rapid cure. Traditionally, components were manufactured by compression or transfer moulding, the latter being preferred for products with moulded-in inserts. Injection moulding is gaining in use, for example for electrical components, electric iron handles (see Chapter 9), or saucepan handles (see below). 

Figure 10.1 Sculptured saucepan handles injection-moulded by Healey Mouldings Ltd, Oldbury, in phenol-formaldehyde compound...

Melamine formaldehyde aminoplastics used principally for moulded tableware (cups, plates, saucers, bowls) but cellulose-filled grades used for saucepan handles, ashtrays and electrical accessories requiring good heat resistance. 

High thermal conductivity. Heat is carried through metals by collisions between electrons, which occur frequently. Saucepans used for cooking commonly contain aluminum, copper, or stainless steel their handles are made of a nonmetallic material that is a good thermal insulator. 

The single largest use for the phenol-formaldehyde resins is in adhesive applications for the production of plywood, chipboard, and particle board. The resin can comprise as much as one-third of the weight of the board, particularly of particle boards, which contributes to a total demand for phenolics in the U.S.A. of over half a million metric tonnes per year. They are also used as the matrix adhesives for the production of several types of grindstones. In combination with paper, woven cotton, glass fiber, etc., components, phenolics contribute to the production of engineering and decorative laminates in the form of rods, tubes, and sheets. The sheet products Arborite and Formica are familiar as the finished surfaces of furniture, bathroom, and kitchen counter tops and other areas where attractive patterns and water resistance are important characteristics. Molded products from phenolics are also important where heat or electrical resistance is required, such as saucepan and toaster handles, switches, and the printed circuit boards used in computers. Recent phenolics production in the U.S.A. has totaled over 500,000 metric tonnes per year, not including fillers [38]. 

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