Bakelite injection molding Why does the mold need to be heated?

Q: Why does Bakelite injection molding need the mold to be heated while ordinary injection molds need to be cooled?

This is determined by the nature of the raw material. Bakelite (phenolic molding compound) is a thermosetting plastic. During the injection process, the material needs to be heated within the mold to trigger a chemical crosslinking (curing) reaction that gives the product its final shape and properties. Without sufficient heat, the Bakelite material cannot cure properly. In contrast, ordinary thermoplastics are physically melted by heat and then need to be cooled to solidify into shape. The heating requirement for Bakelite molds is an essential process characteristic of thermoset materials.