Editing Phenol (section)

===Chemicals===
The major uses of phenol, consuming two thirds of its production, involve its conversion to precursors for plastics. [[Condensation reaction|Condensation]] with [[acetone]] gives [[bisphenol-A]], a key precursor to [[polycarbonate]]s and [[epoxy|epoxide]] resins. Condensation of phenol, [[Alkylphenol|alkylphenols]], or [[Diphenol|diphenols]] with [[formaldehyde]] gives [[phenolic resin]]s, an example of which is [[Bakelite]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Lorenc |first=John F. |title=Alkylphenols |date=2003 |work=Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/0471238961.0112112512151805.a01.pub2 |access-date=2025-05-15 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd |language=en |doi=10.1002/0471238961.0112112512151805.a01.pub2 |isbn=978-0-471-23896-6 |last2=Lambeth |first2=Gregory |last3=Scheffer |first3=William}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Pizzi |first=A. |title=Chapter 2 - Phenol-formaldehyde resins |date=2022-01-01 |work=Handbook of Thermoset Plastics (Fourth Edition) |pages=13–40 |editor-last=Dodiuk |editor-first=Hanna |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128216323000130 |access-date=2025-05-15 |series=Plastics Design Library |place=Boston |publisher=William Andrew Publishing |isbn=978-0-12-821632-3 |last2=Ibeh |first2=C. C.}}</ref> Partial [[hydrogenation]] of phenol gives [[cyclohexanone]],<ref name="Ullmann Cyclohexanes">{{Ullmann |last=Musser |first=Michael T. |title=Cyclohexanol and Cyclohexanone |doi=10.1002/14356007.a08_217.pub2}}</ref> a precursor to [[nylon]]. Nonionic [[detergent]]s are produced by [[alkylation]] of phenol to give the alkylphenols, e.g., [[nonylphenol]], which are then subjected to [[ethoxylation]].<ref name="Ullmann"/>

Phenol is also a versatile precursor to a large collection of drugs, most notably [[aspirin]] but also many [[herbicide]]s and [[pharmaceutical drug]]s. Phenol is a component in [[liquid–liquid extraction|liquid–liquid]] [[phenol–chloroform extraction]] technique used in [[molecular biology]] for obtaining [[nucleic acid]]s from tissues or cell culture samples. Depending on the pH of the solution either [[DNA]] or [[RNA]] can be extracted.

Phenol is so inexpensive that it also attracts many small-scale uses. It is a component of industrial [[paint stripper]]s used in the aviation industry for the removal of epoxy, polyurethane and other chemically resistant coatings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.callingtonhaven.com/_assets/paint_strippers/ch207.pdf|title=CH207 Aircraft paintstripper, phenolic, acid|date=14 October 2009|publisher=Callington|access-date=25 August 2015|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923195922/http://www.callingtonhaven.com/_assets/paint_strippers/ch207.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Safety concerns have caused it to be banned from use in cosmetic products in the [[European Union]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.results|title=Prohibited substances in cosmetic product (Annex II, #1175, Phenol) - European Commission|website=ec.europa.eu|language=en|access-date=2018-07-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.details_v2&id=29394|title=CosIng - Cosmetics - GROWTH - European Commission|website=ec.europa.eu|language=en|access-date=2018-07-06}}</ref> and [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredient-hotlist-prohibited-restricted-ingredients/hotlist.html#t1p|title=Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist - Canada.ca|last=Canada|first=Health|website=www.canada.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-07-06|date=2004-06-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredient-hotlist-prohibited-restricted-ingredients.html|title=Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist: Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients - Canada.ca|last=Canada|first=Health|website=www.canada.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-07-06|date=2004-06-18}}</ref>