AbstractCharacterization measurements of a commercial phenol‐formaldehyde resin prepared from constituents including phenol and formaldehyde in the molar ratio 1:1.33 are reported. The measurements consist of (1) the linear thermal expansion coefficient between approximately 85 and 270°K; (2) the specific heat capacity between approximately 6 and 100°K; (3) the Young's modulus at room temperature. A critical examination of the data reveals that: (1) the vibrational behavior is predominantly that of a three‐dimensional assembly; (2) as far as data available from other sources permit an assessment to be made, the principle of additivity appears to be applicable to the specific heat capacity between approximately 50 and 100°K; and (3) the data lie near the limit of an empirical relationship observed between the Young's modulus and linear thermal expansion coefficient of other po