Bakelite It was the first plastic made from synthetic components. It is thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde.
When the phenol is taken in excess and the reaction medium is made acidic, the product of the condensation reaction by electrophilic substitution mechanism obtained is acidic, whereas when the quantity of formaldehyde taken is more than that of phenol in the reacting mixture, and the reaction occurs in a basic medium, the condensation product is known as rest.
Initial methods of preparing bakelite involved the heating of formaldehyde and phenol in the presence of ore of the following catalysts −ZnCl2,HCl or NH3 and shows electrophilic substitution on phenol.
