Abstract
Ammonia and caustic soda are compared as catalyst of phenol-formaldehyde reaction. If ammonia is used, formaldehyde enters the bezene ring only in the position ortho of phenolic hydroxyl group. But in the case of caustic soda the ratio of ortho to para position is about 1 : 0. 6. Introducing the famous article of M. M. Sprung (1941), the present author wrote some memoranda concerning the difference of those two typical catalysts. Lastly introducing the article of P. W. Kopf and E. R. Wagner (1973) the chemistry of the intermediates of ammonia catalyst reaction was discussed and it became clear that Japan was ahead of other country in that field, because already during 1925-1953 all three intermediates i. e. dibenzylamine, tribenzylemine and benzoxazine were extracted from the reaction mixture and identified.
