thermosetting

[ thur-moh-set-ing ]

adjective

1. pertaining to a type of plastic, as the urea resins, that sets when heated and cannot be remolded.

thermosetting

/ ˌθɜːməʊˈsɛtɪŋ /

adjective

1. See thermoplastic
   (of a material, esp a synthetic plastic or resin) hardening permanently after one application of heat and pressure. Thermosetting plastics, such as phenol-formaldehyde, cannot be remoulded Compare thermoplastic

thermosetting

/ thûr′mō-sĕt′ĭng /

1. Relating to a compound that softens when initially heated, but hardens permanently once it has cooled. Thermosetting materials are made of long-chain polymers that cross-link with each other after they have been heated, rendering the substance permanently hard.
2. Compare thermoplastic

Word History and Origins

Origin of thermosetting¹

First recorded in 1935–40; thermo- + setting