Ablation
Phenolic resin chars when heated to temperatures greater than 480°F (250°C). This process continues at very high temperatures greater than 1,000°F (>500°C), until the resin completely converts to amorphous carbon. This characteristic contributes to the unique ablative properties of phenolic resins. An ablative surface is a heat shield designed to wear away in a controlled fashion at very high temperatures. Examples are rocket nozzles, rocket blast shields, and atmospheric reentry shields. Several aerospace ablative applications specify Plenco resins.