Which electrical application was Bakelite ideally suited for due to its thermosetting properties?

Electrical housings, radio cabinets, and telephone parts.

Bakelite's status as the first fully synthetic plastic was coupled with its property as a thermoset material, which made it exceptional for handling electricity and heat where previous plastics failed. Because Bakelite would char rather than melt upon excessive heating, it provided superior thermal and electrical resistance once cured. This characteristic made it the preferred material for components that needed structural integrity under load or exposure to electrical current, such as the casings for electrical switches, the bodies of early radio cabinets, and crucial parts within telephone apparatuses. Its resistance to heat and electrical conduction was a performance characteristic unavailable in the earlier, thermoplastic materials like Celluloid.