Cashew nut is regarded as lost crop in the content of agricultural produce of Nigeria despite its industrial and export potentials. The major by-product of cashew nut is the liquid from the pericarp known as cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). (CNSL) is one of the sources of naturally occurring phenols. CNSL is amber-colored, poisonous, viscous oil obtained from the by-product shells of the cashew nut by extraction. It is often considered as the better and cheaper source of unsaturated phenols. CNSL has innumerable applications in polymer based-industries, such as friction linings, paints, vanishes, laminating resins, rubber compounding resins, polyurethane based polymers, surfactants, epoxy resins, wood preservatives (Dupont et al., 1991). It offers much scope and varied opportunities for the development of other tailored polymers. More so, resins based on the reaction products of cardanol, phenol and formaldehyde are used to improve the resistance of rubber articles to cracking and ozone degradation.
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