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Narrative
Aqueous formaldehyde is added to solid phenol. Next glacial acetic acid is added and the mixture is stirred. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is then mixed with the resulting solution. After a few minutes, the solution becomes cloudy and the red solid phenol-formaldehyde copolymer forms. The polymerization occurs by electrophilic aromatic substitution between the ortho and para positions of phenol and protonated formaldehyde. The resulting polymer is made by methylene bridges between phenol molecules.

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