Bakelite, his 'method of making insoluble products of phenol and formaldehyde,' was filed on Jand granted on December 7, 1909.

: 9īaekeland filed a substantial number of related patents.

: 58–59 He considered the possibilities of using a wide variety of filling materials, including cotton, powdered bronze, and slate dust, but was most successful with wood and asbestos fibers, though asbestos was gradually abandoned by all manufacturers due to stricter environmental laws. It was the first synthetic thermosetting plastic produced, and Baekeland speculated on 'the thousand and one. By controlling the pressure and temperature applied to phenol and formaldehyde, he produced a hard moldable material that he named Bakelite, after himself. He then began experimenting on strengthening wood by impregnating it with a synthetic resin rather than coating it. He produced a soluble phenol-formaldehyde shellac called ' Novolak', but it was not a market success, even though it is still used to this day (e.g., as a photoresist). Baekeland's initial intent was to find a replacement for shellac, a material in limited supply because it was made naturally from the secretion of lac insects (specifically Kerria lacca). Chemists had begun to recognize that many natural resins and fibers were polymers. Leo Baekeland was already wealthy due to his invention of Velox photographic paper when he began to investigate the reactions of phenol and formaldehyde in his home laboratory. History īakelite was produced for the first time in 1872 by Adolf von Baeyer though its use as a commercial product was not considered at the time.

As the world's first commercial synthetic plastic, Bakelite was named a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society. Bakelite's commercial success inspired the industry to develop other synthetic plastics. The creation of a synthetic plastic was revolutionary for the chemical industry, which at the time made most of its income from cloth dyes and explosives. The ' retro' appeal of old Bakelite products has made them collectible. It was used in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms. Patent 942699A).īecause of its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties, it became a great commercial success. The first plastic made from synthetic components, it was developed by Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York in 1907, and patented on Decem( U.S. Bakelite ( / ˈ b eɪ k əl aɪ t/ BAY-kə-lyte), formally Polyoxybenzylmethyleneglycolanhydride, is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde.

Old poker chip box with gun