Phenolic resins are used for low-cost partsrequiring good electrical insulating properties,heat resistance, or chemical resistance. Theaverage shelf life of this resin is about 1 monthat 21.1°C. This can be extended by storing it ina refrigerator at 1.6 to 10°C. Varying the catalyst(according to the thickness of the cast) andraising the cure temperature to 93°C will alterthe cure time from as long as 8 h to as short as15 min.
Some shrinkage occurs in the finished casting(0.012 to 0.6 mm/mm), depending on thequantity of filler, amount of catalyst, and therate of cure. Faster cure cycles produce a higherrate of shrinkage. Since the cure cycle can beaccelerated, phenolics are used in short-runcasting operations.
Cast phenolic parts are easily removed fromthe mold if the parting agents recommended bythe supplier are used. Posteuring improves thebasic properties of the finished casting.