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How does formaldehyde react with phenol to make Bakelite?
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aldehyde
Alcohols may be oxidized to give aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. The oxidation of organic compounds generally increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen, and it may decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.
The production of Bakelite, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, involves a condensation reaction between phenol and formaldehyde. Chemically, this process relies on electrophilic aromatic substitution at the ortho and para positions of the phenol ring, which eventually leads to the cross-linking of polymeric chains into a rigid, thermoset network.12
Industrial production typically follows one of two methods:
- Resole method: An excess of formaldehyde is reacted with phenol using a base catalyst. This creates a low-molecular-weight prepolymer called a resole, which can be cured into a solid thermoset plastic through heat and pressure.3
- Novolac method: An excess of phenol is reacted with formaldehyde using an acid catalyst. This produces a thermoplastic prepolymer called a novolac. To achieve a final thermoset state, this material must be ground into a powder and heated with additional formaldehyde or a formaldehyde-releasing agent.3
Once fully cured (the C stage), the resulting material is infusible, insoluble, and highly resistant to heat and chemicals.2