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.