Phenol-formaldehyde resins are high performance wood adhesives, and are also used to impregnate base papers which are manufactured high-pressure laminates applied in furniture and interior decoration. In this investigation, PF resins catalyzed with Ba(OH)(2) were studied. Both Ba(OH)(2) content and F/P molar ratio were found to influence the cure rate. The cure rate of the Ba(OH)(2) catalyzed PF resin was faster by 50% than that of ordinary PF resin at 150 degrees C. The DSC results showed that the Ba(OH)(2) catalyzed PF resin was cured at a lower temperature than the ordinary PF resin. And the IR results showed that the Ba(OH)(2) catalyzed PF resin has higher degree of ortho-position coupling. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009