|
Phenol has been in production since the 1860s. One of the early
uses for phenol was as an antiseptic. Towards the end of the 19th
century, industrial scientists found new uses for phenol in the
synthesis of dyes, aspirin, and one of the first high explosives,
picric acid. As early as 1872, it was found that phenol could
be condensed with aldehydes (for example methanal) to make resinous
compounds, a process still in use today.
Phenol-methanal (formaldehyde) resins are the basis of the oldest
plastics, and are still used to make low cost thermosetting plastics
such as melamine and bakelite, used in electrical equipment. These
resins are also used extensively as bonding agents in manufacturing
wood products such as plywood and MDF.
|
Phenol is also used to make chemical intermediates for a wide
range of other applications, ranging from plastics to pharmaceuticals
and agricultural chemicals.
|
Used
to produce epoxy resins for paints coatings and mouldings,
and in polycarbonate plastics, familiar in CDs and domestic
electrical appliances.
Caprolactam
is used in the manufacture of nylon and polyamide plastics
for a wide range of products, including carpets, clothing,
fishing nets, moulded components and packaging.
This
is used as an antioxidant in rubber manufacture, and as an
intermediate in herbicides, dyes and pigments, and pharmaceuticalsIt
is used to make isocyanates for the production of polyurethanes,
with a wide range of uses from paints and adhesives to expanded
foam cushions.
These
compounds are used in the manufacture of surfactants, detergents
and emulsifiers, and also in insecticide and plastics production.
Used
in medical antiseptics and bactericides such as TCP and Dettol.
Also used in fungicides for timber preservation and as additives
to inhibit microbial growth in many products; used to manufacture
a range of pesticides.
This
is used in the production of aspirin and other pharmaceuticals.