Phenol formaldehyde resins

Bakelite ( ), formally '''''', is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. The first plastic made from synthetic components, it was developed by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York, in 1907, and patented on December 7, 1909.

synthetic resin made by copolymerizing phenol and formaldehyde

thumb|300 px|Segment of novolak, illustrating the predominance of cresol subunits and presence of Cross-link|crosslinking. Novolaks (sometimes: novolacs) are low molecular weight polymers derived from phenols and formaldehyde. They are related to Bakelite, which is more highly crosslinked. The term comes from Swedish "lack" for lacquer and Latin "novo" for new, since these materials were envisioned to replace natural lacquers such as copal resin.