Bakelite is manufactured by extensively heating the linear prepolymer Novolac with an excess of form — Polymers Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Heating Novolac with formaldehyde causes further electrophilic aromatic substitution, creating extensive methylene ($-CH_2-$) cross-links between separate linear chains at available ortho and para sites. This yields Bakelite, a rigid, infusible, thermosetting 3D network polymer.