https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.15249
Polymer prepared by the polycondensation of phenols and aldehydes or by curing reactive oligomers prepared from phenols and aldehydes.
Notes:
- A phenolic polymer is usually a network polymer.
- Formaldehyde is commonly used as the aldehyde and (a) phenol itself, or (b) a cresol is used as the phenol. Phenol-formaldehyde polymer is a phenolic polymer resulting from the reaction of phenol with formaldehyde.
- A mixture of the reactive oligomers prepared by the condensation of a phenol and aldehyde, and also its admixture with a curing agent is, in a public (popular) use and technological practice, usually referred to as a phenolic resin or a phenol-aldehyde resin.
- Use of the term "phenolic resin" for cured reactive oligomers is discouraged; they should be called "phenolic polymers".
- A phenol-formaldehyde polymer prepared under alkaline conditions with an aldehydeto-phenol mole ratio between 1.5 and 3 is known as a resol. A resol spontaneously undergoes polycondensation at hydroxymethyl groups, to give a network, phenolformaldehyde polymer known as a resit.
- A phenol-formaldehyde polymer prepared under acidic conditions with a formaldehyde-to-phenol molar ratio less then 1 is known as a novolak. A novolak can be cured with formaldehyde or a multifunctional reagent such as 1,3,5,7-tetraazaadamantane (hexamethylenetetramine) to give a network, phenol-formaldehyde polymer.
