Ethan Clarke
John Wesley Hyatt was an American inventor and industrialist who is best known for developing celluloid, the first artificial plastic. Hyatt was born in 1837 in New York and began working as a printer at the age of 16. In the late 1860s, Hyatt was attracted by a $10,000 reward offered by a New York billiards company for anyone who could invent a substitute for ivory billiard balls. After experimenting with various compositions, Hyatt discovered that a mixture of nitrocellulose, camphor, and alcohol could be heated and molded into a practical plastic material. He patented this process in 1870 and dubbed it Celluloid in 1872, founding the Celluloid Manufacturing Company with his brothers to produce the raw material. Hyatt's invention of celluloid played a significant role in launching the plastics industry, which transformed society in the 20th century by replacing natural materials with synthetic alternatives.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 28, 1837 |
| Place of birth | Starkey, New York |
| Date of death | May 10, 1920 |
| Place of death | Short Hills, New Jersey |
| Known for | Inventing celluloid, the first synthetic plastic |
| Profession | Inventor, industrialist, manufacturer |
| Awards | Perkin Medal, National Inventors Hall of Fame |
| Number of patents | 200+ |
| Notable inventions | Substitute for ivory billiard balls, roller bearings, sugarcane mills, sewing machines, water filtration devices |
| Companies founded | Albany Billiard Ball Company, Albany Dental Plate Company, Embossing Company, Celluloid Manufacturing Company, Hyatt Roller Bearing Company |
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What You'll Learn
John Wesley Hyatt's discovery of celluloid
John Wesley Hyatt (1837-1920) was an American inventor and industrialist who discovered the process for making celluloid, the first practical artificial plastic.
Hyatt began working as a printer at the age of 16. In 1863, he was attracted by a reward of $10,000 offered by a New York billiards company for anyone who could invent a satisfactory alternative to ivory billiard balls. He experimented with several compositions, including a composite of wood pulp and shellac, but none of them were successful for billiard balls.
Continuing his experiments, Hyatt discovered that an attractive and practical plastic material could be made by mixing nitrocellulose (a flammable nitrate of common wood or cotton cellulose), camphor (a waxy resin obtained from Asian camphor trees), and alcohol. He combined these materials and heated the mixture under pressure to make it pliable for moulding. Hyatt also developed the necessary machinery to work with his new material.
One of the first uses of Hyatt's new plastic material was for making denture plates. He formed the Albany Dental Plate Company in 1870, which was renamed the Celluloid Manufacturing Company in 1872. The company moved to Newark, New Jersey, in 1873, and became the premier celluloid company in the world. Hyatt and his brothers concentrated on forming celluloid into sheets, rods, and other unfinished shapes, which could then be fabricated into practical objects by licensed companies.
In addition to his work with celluloid, Hyatt invented a number of other industrial devices, including roller bearings, sugarcane mills, and sewing machines. He took out more than 200 patents during his career, including nearly 238 patents for improvements to various devices.
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The process of making celluloid
John Wesley Hyatt, an American inventor, is known for simplifying the production of celluloid, the first practical artificial plastic. He had nearly 238 patents to his credit. He experimented with several compositions, including cloth, ivory dust, and shellac, and patented a method of covering billiard balls with the addition of collodion.
Hyatt and his brother Isaiah first attempted to market the plastic, which they patented in 1870 and dubbed Celluloid in 1872 or 1873. They set up the Celluloid Manufacturing Company, which moved from Albany to Newark, New Jersey, in 1872. The brothers devised machinery for mixing the ingredients and new ways of manipulating the material.
The coloured celluloid mass could be rolled, sheeted, and pressed into blocks. These blocks could then be sliced and fabricated into various objects. At room temperature, celluloid could be sawed, drilled, turned, planed, buffed, and polished. It could also be heated and moulded into innumerable shapes.
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Hyatt's invention of the first artificial plastic
John Wesley Hyatt (1837-1920) was an American inventor and industrialist. He is best known for inventing celluloid, the first artificial plastic.
Hyatt began working as a printer at the age of 16. In 1863, he was attracted by a reward of $10,000 offered by a New York billiards company for anyone who could invent a satisfactory alternative to ivory billiard balls. At the time, billiard balls were made from ivory, but the high cost and scarcity of the material meant a substitute was desired. Hyatt experimented with several compositions, including a composite of wood pulp and shellac, but none produced a successful billiard ball.
Hyatt then experimented with Parkesine, a hardened form of nitrocellulose that had been invented by the Englishman Alexander Parkes in 1862. Parkesine is considered the first true plastic, but it was not a commercial success. Hyatt combined nitrocellulose with camphor, a waxy resin obtained from Asian camphor trees, and alcohol. He then heated the mixture under pressure to make it pliable for moulding. Hyatt thus discovered the solvent action of camphor on cellulose nitrate under moderate heat and pressure, creating celluloid.
Hyatt and his brother Isaiah patented the new plastic in 1870, dubbing it 'Celluloid' in 1872. They attempted to market it as a substitute for hard rubber in denture plates. They founded the Albany Dental Plate Company in 1870, which was renamed the Celluloid Manufacturing Company in 1872. The company moved to Newark, New Jersey, in 1873, where the Hyatts concentrated on forming celluloid into sheets, rods, and other unfinished shapes. These were then fabricated into practical objects by licensed companies.
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Hyatt's entrepreneurial ventures
John Wesley Hyatt was an American inventor and industrialist known for his entrepreneurial ventures in the plastics industry. He is recognized for developing celluloid, the first practical artificial plastic, which revolutionized the manufacturing sector by offering a substitute for natural materials. Hyatt, along with his brothers, established multiple companies to manufacture and market his inventions, showcasing his business acumen alongside his scientific inventiveness.
One of Hyatt's notable entrepreneurial ventures was the establishment of the Albany Billiard Ball Company in Albany, New York. Hyatt invented celluloid as a substitute for ivory in billiard balls, and his company produced and supplied these innovative products. Recognizing the potential of celluloid, Hyatt and his brother Isaiah expanded their entrepreneurial endeavours by founding the Albany Dental Plate Company in 1870, which utilized celluloid as a substitute for hard rubber in denture plates. This venture demonstrated their ability to identify new applications for their invention, addressing the limitations of existing materials.
In 1872, the Hyatt brothers renamed their company the Celluloid Manufacturing Company and relocated it to Newark, New Jersey. This company became the premier celluloid producer in the world, supplying the raw material to various industries. The Hyatts focused on producing celluloid in sheets, rods, and unfinished shapes, which were then fabricated into practical objects by licensed companies. This business model allowed them to concentrate on their core expertise while enabling other businesses to specialize in the final product manufacturing.
Throughout his career, Hyatt obtained over 200 patents, solidifying his reputation as a prolific inventor. His entrepreneurial ventures, combined with his inventions, played a significant role in shaping the plastics industry and transforming society in the 20th century. Hyatt's legacy is that of an innovator who successfully combined scientific discovery with business enterprise, leaving a lasting impact on the world of plastics and manufacturing.
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Hyatt's impact on the plastics industry
John Wesley Hyatt's impact on the plastics industry was profound. He is best known for his invention of celluloid, the first artificial plastic, which revolutionised the plastics industry and transformed society in the 20th century. Hyatt was an American inventor and industrialist, with a particular talent for both scientific discovery and business.
Hyatt's development of celluloid began in the 1860s when he sought to find a substitute for ivory in the production of billiard balls. He experimented with a range of compositions, eventually discovering that a combination of nitrocellulose, camphor, and alcohol could be heated and moulded into a practical and attractive plastic material. Hyatt also developed the machinery required to work with his new invention, demonstrating his understanding of the commercial applications of his discovery.
The first uses of Hyatt's celluloid included denture plates, with Hyatt forming the Albany Dental Plate Company in 1870, which was later renamed the Celluloid Manufacturing Company in 1872. Hyatt and his brothers moved this company to Newark, New Jersey, where they established themselves as the premier celluloid company in the world. They focused on producing celluloid in sheets, rods, and other unfinished shapes, which could then be fabricated into a range of practical objects by licensed companies.
Celluloid had a wide variety of uses in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including for knife handles, ballpoint pen bodies, collars and cuffs, toys, and most notably, photographic and cinematic film. Hyatt's invention of celluloid helped to conserve natural resources and reduce costs by replacing natural materials with synthetic alternatives.
In addition to his work with celluloid, Hyatt was also a prolific inventor with nearly 240 patents to his name. His other inventions included roller bearings, a mill for converting sugarcane by-products into fuel, a machine for straightening steel rods, and a multiple-stitch sewing machine. Hyatt's contributions to the plastics industry were recognised with numerous awards during his lifetime, including the Perkin Medal, and he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
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Frequently asked questions
John Wesley Hyatt was attracted to plastics by a reward of $10,000 offered by a New York billiards company for anyone who could invent a substitute for ivory billiard balls.
John Wesley Hyatt's plastic, which he dubbed celluloid, was made of nitrocellulose, camphor, and alcohol.
John Wesley Hyatt first used his plastic to make billiard balls and denture plates.
