France | .1 | 38.4 | 19.6 | | 1.6 | .9 | United Kingdom | .5 | | | 6.8 | 73.5 | 10.6 | 11.7 Switzerland | | | | 22.1 | 9.9 | 23.6 | 9.1 Canada | | | | 8.7 | .8 | 6.8 | 3.1 All other | | | | | | | countries | 24.2 | 9.5 | 8.3 | | 1.9 | .3 | 2.6 ---------------+--------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------- [1] Preliminary. Source: Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States. Exports from the United States. Appreciable quantities of phenolic resins are exported annually in the form of molding compounds and as finished articles of wide variety. Statistics of these exports are not compiled separately by the Department of Commerce. Exportation is limited by a number of factors, such as licensing agreements, patents, allocation of markets, and high tariffs or embargoes in certain countries. The largest domestic maker is affiliated with producers in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan. Other domestic firms have agreements as to patents and markets with producers in England, Germany, and other countries. TAR-ACID RESINS FOR MOLDING The tar-acid resins were first developed for molding and they are still used in large volume in this way. An article produced in large quantity is more likely to be made of molded resin. The cost of the mold, which may amount to several thousand dollars, then becomes very small per unit produced. If the article is of such a shape that it would require a great deal of labor to produce in metal or wood, it may be produced in quantity much more cheaply from resin, since it will come from the mold almost in finished form. A few of the large molders find it economical to make their own resins when they use one type in large volume or desire some special modification. Most of the molders buy resins for molding in the form of either powder or pre-formed pellets ready for use. Molding powders and pellets. Molding powder is made from B-stage resin (see p. 13), a filler, a pigment, a lubricant, and a plasticizer. These materials are mixed and put through rolls at a moderate heat and pressure. The resin softens and amalgamates with the other materials. It hardens upon cooling and is ground to powder. A pre-formed pellet may be made from the powder by pressure; use in this form saves the time of the molder when filling the mold, since he is not required to measure the powder.