In this research the possibility to produce nanosilica/phenolic nanocomposites by means of a simple low labor cost mechanical approach was investigated. A commercial compatibilized nanosilica was selected as a filler and a resol diluted in methanol as a matrix. The morphology of the produced nanocomposites were studied by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), whereas thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the thermal stability of the nanocomposites. The post burning morphology of samples was also investigated. A rheological characterization was also carried out. The results of such study showed that it was possible to obtain a good degree of dispersion and distribution of the nanosilica particles, indicating that the proposed process could be successfully adopted as an alternative approach to sol-gel techniques. Thermogravimetric analyses showed that all the produced nanocomposites exhibited a better thermal stability than the pristine matrix. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 2632-2640, 2011