[bey-kuh-lahyt, beyk-lahyt] 
| a brand name for any of a series of thermosetting plastics prepared by heating phenol or cresol with formaldehyde and ammonia under pressure: used for radio cabinets, telephone receivers, electric insulators, and molded plastic ware. |
| Ba·ke·lite (bā'kə-līt', bāk'līt') A trademark used for any of a group of synthetic resins and plastics found in a variety of manufactured articles. |
Bakelite
synthetic resin formed from the chemical combination of phenols and formaldehydes. Bakelite is a hard, infusible, and chemically resistant plastic whose properties as a nonconductor of electricity have made it exceptionally useful in all sorts of electrical appliances. It is used in many industrial applications as an electrical insulator, in molding and casting operations, as an adhesive, and in paints and baked-enamel coatings. Phenol-formaldehyde resins are indispensable in manufacturing chemical equipment, machine and instrument housings, bottle closures, and many machine and electrical components.
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kəˌlaɪt
