Abstract: A fast curing shell molding composition having the tensile strength of a conventional novolac resin when cured contains a fast curing novolac resin comprising a methylene chained polyphenylol wherein a major portion of the methylene linkages are coupled to adjacent phenylol groups at the o-o' and p-p' position, wherein at least about 19% of the methylene linkages are coupled to adjacent phenylol groups at the o-o' portions, and wherein at least about 3% of the total number of methylene linkages are coupled to adjacent phenylol groups at the p-p' positions. The shell molding composition is produced from the fast curing novolac resin by uniformly coating refractory granules with the fast curing resin. The fast curing novolac resin can be prepared by blending a conventional novolac resin with a novolac resin having a large proportion of methylene linkages coupled to adjacent phenylol groups at the o-o' position.

Abstract: Disclosed are improved resin-containing cellulosic overlays for overlaying woody substrates and processes for preparing same. The overlays are produced by admixing an aqueous slurry of cellulosic fibers and a resole resin produced by reacting bisphenol A, a para-substituted phenol selected from p-tertiarybutylphenol, p-tertiaryamylphenol and p-phenylphenol and formaldehyde, precipitating the resin by acidifying the resulting slurry, forming a sheet from the resin-containing slurry and drying the sheet. The overlays produced are white in color and are highly resistant to discoloration due to exposure to sunlight, heat and caustic.