Thermosetting molding compounds originated with Dr. Leo H. Baekeland’s 1907 discovery of a technique for reacting, under heat and pressure, an acid and an aldehyde to form an (A) stage synthetic resin. A caustic, crystalline acidic compound (phenol) reacting under applied heat and pressure with a pungent, colorless gas (formaldehyde) produced a hot yellowish brown liquid. When cooled, it became a frangible solid that could be pulverized into a free-flowing, granular material. Combining this granular resin with fillers or reinforcements, colorants, catalysts, and lubricants resulted in a “molding compound” that became identified as a “phenolic” molding compound.