The tough and stretchable crosslinked hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HNBR) could be prepared by resol type phenol resin as a crosslinker. The mechanical properties and the network structure of the phenol resin crosslinked HNBR were investigated by comparing with those of the peroxide crosslinked HNBR having the higher crosslink density and the heterogeneous network structure. The elastic modulus and the strain at break of the phenol resin crosslinked HNBR were much higher than those of the peroxide one. The residual strain was below 20 % after stretching up to 650 % and then releasing from the cramps. Since the crosslink density is low, the high elastic modulus and the good recovery deformation are attributed to the stiffness and rigidity of the crosslink junctions obtained by phenol resin. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements revealed that the network structure is spatially homogeneous and the results of the wide angle X-ray diffraction indicate that the strain-induced crystallization is suppressed, which enable the longer elongation. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013