Product
Phenol
Map of Phenol Products producing locations in ppPLUS

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Data

Production
Global Production
Product Categories, Description and Properties

Segment
Chemicals
Main-Family
Functional Organic Products
Sub-Family
Alcohols

Phenol, also known as carbolic acid and with the chemical formula C₆H₅OH, is an aromatic organic compound characterized by a hydroxyl group (–OH) bonded directly to a benzene ring. It typically appears as colorless or white crystals with a distinct, sweet odor and is moderately soluble in water.

Phenol is a crucial industrial chemical, primarily used as a building block for manufacturing plastics, resins, and synthetic fibers. Its most significant applications include the production of phenolic resins (such as Bakelite), bisphenol A (a precursor for polycarbonates and epoxy resins), and caprolactam (used in nylon production). It is also a starting material for various pharmaceuticals, herbicides, and detergents.

In addition to its industrial uses, phenol has antiseptic and disinfectant properties and is found in some medical products, including mouthwashes, lozenges, and topical anesthetics. Due to its toxicity and corrosiveness, phenol must be handled with care in both industrial and laboratory settings.

Phenol is produced industrially primarily through the cumene process (also known as the Hock process), which is the most widely used method today. In this process, benzene is first alkylated with propene to form cumene (isopropylbenzene). The cumene is then oxidized with atmospheric oxygen to produce cumene hydroperoxide, which is subsequently cleaved—typically using an acid catalyst—to yield phenol and acetone as co-products. The phenol and acetone are then separated by distillation.

Link
Building Block / Value Chain - Info

Value Chain-I
Benzene
Properties

Status
A
Unit of Measure
Metric Ton
Physical State

Solid

System Info

Update by
UserPic  Kokel, Nicolas
Last Update
7/3/2025 3:19 PM
Added
2/18/2021 11:40 AM
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Phenol molecular structure and crystals in a test tube (Wikipedia and Adobe Stock images)
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Product Title Date
  UserPic *Phenol Phenol Specific Gravity 9/26/2021