M CRESOL FOR SYNTHESIS
Cresols give creosote its antibacterial and insecticidal properties, as well as its toxicity and its ability to irritate bare skin. As phenol derivatives, cresols can be used in phenol-formaldehyde resins. m-Cresol is also used in making photographic developer and explosives.
Polyester fibers are soluble in hot meta-cresol. Polyacrylonitrile fibers dissolve in dimethyl formamide. Acetate rayon dissolves in 50% solution of acetic acid but viscose is not affected. All rayon will dissolve in 60% solution of sulphuric acid or concentrated solution of hydrochloric acid.
Cresols give creosote its antibacterial and insecticidal properties, as well as its toxicity and its ability to irritate bare skin. As phenol derivatives, cresols can be used in phenol-formaldehyde resins. m-Cresol is also used in making photographic developer and explosives.
Together with many other compounds, m-cresol is traditionally extracted from coal tar, the volatile materials obtained in the production of coke from (bituminous) coal. This residue contains a few percent by weight of phenol and isomeric cresols.
