What Is Phenol? Grades, Properties and Bulk Supply (CAS 108-95-2)

Phenol is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula C6H5OH — a benzene ring carrying a hydroxyl group. Commercially it is also known as carbolic acid, and it remains one of the highest-volume intermediates in the chemical industry: global output exceeds 12 million tonnes a year, feeding phenolic resins, bisphenol A, caprolactam and dozens of downstream products.

If you are sourcing phenol, the practical questions are usually about form and grade rather than chemistry: do you need molten, solid or solution? What packaging and what lead time?

What is phenol?

Phenol (CAS 108-95-2) is the simplest member of the phenol family — a group of compounds in which a hydroxyl group (–OH) is bonded directly to an aromatic ring. The traditional name "carbolic acid" comes from its historical isolation from coal tar and from its weakly acidic behaviour in water.

The identifiers buyers need are:

• CAS number: 108-95-2
• Molecular formula: C6H6O (commonly written C6H5OH)
• Molar mass: 94.11 g/mol
• HS code: 2907.11
• UN number: 1671 (solid), 2312 (molten), 2821 (solution)

The UN number changes with physical form, and customs documents must state it precisely — see our phenol export and shipping guide.

Phenol structure and formula

The phenol molecule is a planar benzene ring with one hydrogen replaced by a hydroxyl group. That single substitution changes its behaviour substantially:

• The –OH group forms hydrogen bonds, so phenol dissolves in water far better than benzene does — 8.3 g per 100 mL at 20 °C.
• The aromatic ring draws electron density away from the oxygen, making the O–H bond easier to break. Phenol therefore behaves as a weak acid (pKa ≈ 10), unlike ordinary alcohols.

This dual character — water-tolerant enough to react in solution, yet acidic enough to form salts known as phenolates — is why phenol reacts so readily with formaldehyde and acetone, and why it sits behind such a wide range of industrial products.

Physical and chemical properties

Two practical points follow from these numbers.

First, the melting point of 40.5 °C sits just above normal room temperature. This is why phenol is so often shipped and handled molten, in heated road tankers or insulated ISO containers, and why a logistics failure that lets the cargo cool can be expensive to undo.

Second, the pink discolouration that develops during storage is normal oxidation, not necessarily a quality defect — but it should always be checked against the certificate of analysis rather than assumed.

How is phenol made?

Around 95% of the world's phenol is produced by the cumene process. Benzene is alkylated with propylene to give cumene, which is oxidised to cumene hydroperoxide and then cleaved with acid to yield phenol and acetone as co-products — roughly 0.6 tonnes of acetone for every tonne of phenol.

This co-product relationship matters commercially. Because the two are produced together, phenol pricing is often influenced as much by demand for acetone as by demand for phenol itself, which is part of why phenol prices can move in ways that seem unrelated to its own downstream markets.

Smaller volumes are still made by toluene oxidation and recovered from coal tar distillation, but these routes are niche today.

What is phenol used for?

Phenol demand is concentrated in a small number of large chains:

• Phenolic resins (roughly 30%) — adhesives for plywood and laminates, moulding compounds, foundry binders and insulation
• Bisphenol A, or BPA (roughly 28%) — the feedstock for epoxy resins and polycarbonate
• Caprolactam (roughly 15–18%) — nylon 6 fibre and engineering plastics
• Alkylphenols, aniline, 2,4-D, salicylic acid and pharmaceutical intermediates — the remainder

Smaller but better-known uses include disinfectants, the original carbolic soap, and medical preparations such as throat sprays and chemical peels. These are familiar to the public but account for a very small share of total volume.

For a detailed breakdown by industry, see our guide to phenol uses and applications.

Is phenol dangerous?

Yes. Phenol is corrosive and is readily absorbed through intact skin, which is the main exposure route in industry. Contact causes whitening and numbness followed by deep burns, and systemic absorption can affect the kidneys, liver and central nervous system. It is also toxic to aquatic life.

Standard controls are impervious gloves — nitrile alone gives limited protection, so laminate or butyl gloves are preferred — plus eye protection, local exhaust ventilation, and immediate washing with polyethylene glycol (PEG) after skin contact. Water alone can spread phenol across the skin rather than removing it.

Full hazard statements, first-aid measures and transport classification are in our phenol MSDS, where the safety data sheet can be downloaded as a PDF.

Forms and grades — what you actually buy

Most sourcing decisions come down to form rather than chemistry. Phenol is traded in three forms:

Molten or liquid phenol — the default for bulk industrial buyers. Shipped at 50–60 °C in heated road tankers, rail tanks or insulated ISO containers. It carries the lowest handling cost per tonne, but requires heated storage at the receiving end.

Crystalline solid — drummed, typically in 200 kg steel drums, for buyers without heated tanks or for smaller volumes.

Aqueous solution — commonly 80–90%, used where the downstream process already runs in water.

A typical specification reads: purity 99.5% min, water 0.1% max, colour (APHA) 20 max. Packaging follows the route: 200 kg drums, 1,000 kg IBCs, or bulk ISO tanks and vessel parcels for full container and ship loads.

We supply molten and liquid phenol in bulk, with drummed crystal also available for smaller requirements. [MOQ: 填写 / 包装: 填写 / 发货港: 填写]

Where to buy phenol

For this week's numbers in CFR China, US Gulf, Rotterdam and India, see our weekly phenol price report.

Phenol is a commodity chemical. Its price tracks benzene and propylene feedstock costs, acetone co-product values, freight rates and Incoterms, so quotations are normally valid only for a short window .

What matters more than the headline number is whether a supplier can hold specification consistently and ship on schedule. Because phenol solidifies below 40.5 °C, a logistics slip does not simply delay a delivery; it can leave a tank of solid material to be reheated.

As a China-based phenol manufacturer and exporter, we supply 99.5% phenol in molten, liquid and crystal form, with certificate of analysis, MSDS and full export documentation. View specification and packaging on our phenol supplier page, or request a quote for current pricing and lead times.

Frequently asked questions

What is another name for phenol? Carbolic acid is the traditional name. It is also called benzenol, hydroxybenzene and phenic acid.

Is phenol an acid or a base? It is weakly acidic, with a pKa of about 10. That is far stronger than ordinary alcohols, but much weaker than mineral acids.

What is a "phenol group" in chemistry? It is a hydroxyl group bonded directly to an aromatic ring. Note that "phenol" refers both to this specific compound and to the whole family of compounds containing that group.

Does phenol dissolve in water? Partly. Solubility is 8.3 g per 100 mL at 20 °C, and above 65.9 °C it becomes fully miscible with water.

How long does phenol keep, and does the pink colour mean it has gone bad? Stored sealed and away from light, industrial phenol is stable for at least 12 months. It naturally develops a pink tint as it oxidises on contact with air — that discolouration alone is not a defect, but it should always be checked against the certificate of analysis before a batch is accepted.

What is phenol made from? Mainly benzene and propylene, via the cumene process. Acetone is produced alongside it as a co-product, which is why acetone demand influences phenol pricing.