Abstract: A rubber compounding resin which is low fuming, nonhygroscopic and low in free resorcinol. It is made by first reacting resorcinol or other phenolic compound and styrene or other vinyl compound in a molar ratio of 1.0 mole of resorcinol to 0.25 to 1.0 mole of styrene after which formaldehyde or other aldehyde is added in the amount of 0.5 to 0.7 moles. Alternatively, the resorcinol can first be reacted with the formaldehyde after which the styrene is added. The composition resulting from the above procedure has been identified as having the structure ##STR1## wherein X is hydroxyl, hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. An intermediate in making the above compound has been identified as having the structure.

Abstract: An improved vulcanizable rubber composition of the type comprising (I) a rubber component selected from natural rubber, synthetic rubber or combinations thereof, and (II) a methylene donor compound which generates formaldehyde upon heating, and (III) a phenolic novolak resin type methylene acceptor compound is disclosed. The improvement comprises having at least ten mole percent of the phenolic groups of the phenolic novolak resin aralkylated with one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of styrene, alpha methyl styrene, beta methyl styrene, p-methyl styrene, alpha chloro styrene and vinyl naphthalenes.

Abstract: A phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde resin and a method for making the same. In this method phenol and formaldehyde at an initial pH of 8.5 to 9.2 are reacted in the presence of a sodium sulfite catalyst. The reaction mixture is heated and refluxed until it has a viscosity of u-v on the Gardner bubble test. Additional resorcinol is added to the mixture and refluxing is continued until it has a viscosity of 30 to 100 Garner sections. The reaction mixture is diluted with a water miscible solvent to obtain a resin solution having a solids content of about 40 to 60 percent by weight and a viscosity of 2.0 to 3.5 poise. An alkali metal carbonate material in the amount of 4 to 8 percent by weight of the resin is added to make adhesives including this resin fast curing. Fumed silica is also added to the resin solution by means of high shear apparatus to make the solution thixotropic.