Phenolic resins from bisphenol a residual resins and mixtures of chloro-substituted hydrocarbons, and the use of specific phenolic resins as homogenizers for rubber vulcanizates

In a process for improving the properties of a rubber vulcanizate by the addition of the reaction product of a phenolic with a mixture of partially chlorinated C.sub.4 to C.sub.8 hydrocarbons comprising the byproducts of butadiene chlorination in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts alkylation catalyst, the improvement which comprises employing as the phenolic a residual resin from the production of bisphenol A which contains phenol, bisphenols, chromanes, indanes and triphenols.