Bakelite Hylam Fabric Base Rod is a tough and versatile engineering material for electrical and mechanical use. It is light in weight, a good electrical insulator, and resistant to water and chemicals. Bakelite (Hylam) is used where mechanical strength, wear resistance, and resilience are more important than electrical insulation. Typical applications of fabric laminates are gears, textile shuttles, bearings, pickers, bushes, and marine applications.