o-Cresolphthalein is a phthalein dye used as a pH indicator in titrations. It is insoluble in water but soluble in ethanol. Its solution is colourless below pH 8.2, and purple above 9.8.
O-cresol novolac epoxy resins are used widely as electronic encapsulating materials. When the pitch wires in electronic systems are more slender, there are pressing demands for high purity o-cresol novolac epoxy resin which are with little content of hydrolyzable chloride. In this paper, o-cresol novolac resin was synthesized from para-formaldehyde and o-cresol in the presence of a mixed catalyst (oxalic acid and another co-catalyst).
o-Cresol is mainly used as a precursor to other compounds. Chlorination and etherification gives members of a commercially important herbicides, such as 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). Nitration gives dinitrocresol, a popular herbicide. Kolbe–Schmitt carboxylation gives o-cresotinic acid, a pharmaceutical intermediate. Carvacrol, essence of oregano, is derived by alkylation of o-cresol with propene. The muscle relaxant mephenesin is an ether derived from o-cresol.
dose of 7.2 to 10.0 mg o-Cresol .
