Four novel phenol-formaldehyde resins having pendant citraconimides in their repeating units were synthesized via condensation of formaldehyde with N-(hydroxy phenyl) citraconimides under conditions similar to those used in novolac preparation.The prepared resins were modified by using two methods the first one involved esterification of phenolic hydroxyl groups via treatment of the resins with different acid chlorides in the presence of triethyl amine producing sixteen new resins while the second method involved free radical polymerization of citracon vinyls of the pendant citraconimides producing four new cross-linked thermally stable polymers. Both the prepared and the cured resins have new properties which may serve different applications.

N-(hydroxyphenyl) phthalimides were allowed to condense with formaldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce three phenol-formaldehyde resins having pendant phthalimides. The prepared phenolic resins were modified by esterification of phenolic hydroxyl groups. Esterification was achieved via treatment of phenolic resins with different acid chlorides in the presence of triethylamine to obtain new resins having new properties in hope to serve new applications.