Phenolic – General term used to describe a group of thermosetting resins created by reacting a phenol with an aldehyde, followed by curing and crosslinking. The most common is phenol-formaldehyde. Usually, phenolic is extended by combining it with a filler. Phenolics are usually compression molded and they have good strength and toughness, good arc resistance and other electrical properties, good resistance to solvents and high temperatures, and are bargain-priced.
Phenolic, discovered in 1907 by George Baekeland, is one of the oldest types of thermosetting resins. Phenolics are now considered the workhorse of the plastics industry.