Chloe Zhang
The first plastic item was Parkesine, patented in 1862 by Birmingham-born artisan-cum-chemist Alexander Parkes. It was a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory or tortoiseshell, and it kickstarted the Plastics Age, which has seen plastic become the most used type of material in the world. Since the invention of Parkesine, humans have continued to innovate with synthetic polymers, creating materials that are strong, lightweight, and flexible. However, the environmental impact of plastic has also been significant, with plastic debris in the oceans first observed in the 1960s.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Parkesine |
| Inventor | Alexander Parkes |
| Year of Invention | 1855 |
| Year of Patent | 1862 |
| Composition | Cotton fibres dissolved in nitric and sulphuric acids then mixed with vegetable oil |
| Properties | Cheap, colourful, synthetic, substitute for ivory or tortoiseshell |
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What You'll Learn
- The first plastic, Parkesine, was invented in 1855 by Alexander Parkes
- It was patented in 1862 as a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory
- Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland
- Baekeland's work opened the floodgates to a torrent of now-familiar synthetic plastics
- The first plastic was a semi-synthetic material, with natural substances as its base
The first plastic, Parkesine, was invented in 1855 by Alexander Parkes
Plastic has become an integral part of our lives, with its applications ranging from automobiles to furniture, toys, packaging, and even biomedicine. However, it is essential to recognise that the ubiquitous presence of plastic today is a relatively recent phenomenon, with its widespread usage beginning after the Second World War. The first plastic, Parkesine, was invented in 1855 by Alexander Parkes, marking a significant leap in the plastics revolution.
Parkes, a Birmingham-born artisan-cum-chemist, was driven by the lucrative challenge to find an alternative to ivory, which was becoming increasingly scarce due to its demand for items like piano keys and billiard balls. He successfully created a cheap and colourful substitute by dissolving cotton fibres in nitric and sulphuric acids and then mixing them with vegetable oil. This material, later known as celluloid, was the first artificial plastic and revolutionised the consumer goods industry.
Parkes' invention of Parkesine democratised access to luxury items, making piano keys and combs, previously made from scarce materials like ivory and tortoiseshell, affordable to the masses. This set a precedent for the role of plastics in shaping consumer culture. Parkesine was patented in 1862 and marked the beginning of a new era of manufacturing, where natural materials were modified chemically to create synthetic polymers with versatile applications.
The birth of the modern plastics era, however, is often attributed to the invention of Bakelite by Belgian-born American chemist Leo Baekeland in 1907. Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics," created the first fully synthetic plastic derived from fossil fuels rather than plants or animals. This invention opened the floodgates to a plethora of now-familiar synthetic plastics, including polystyrene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polythene.
While the development of plastics has brought numerous benefits, it has also led to significant environmental challenges. The economics of mass-produced, cheap plastic products have contributed to a single-use culture, with around 500 billion PET bottles sold annually. The recycling of plastics is complex due to the variety of additives used, and the separation of different polymers remains a significant barrier. As such, the future of plastics relies on our ability to innovate and embrace sustainable solutions that align with the health of our planet.
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It was patented in 1862 as a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory
The first plastic item was Parkesine, invented by British artisan-cum-chemist Alexander Parkes in 1855. It was patented in 1862 as a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory.
By the middle of the 19th century, industrialised goods production had led to a scarcity of certain animal-derived materials. For instance, the demand for ivory from elephants and tortoiseshell from turtles was so high that both species were facing extinction. This created an impetus for inventors to find substitutes for these materials. John Wesley Hyatt, for instance, began searching for an alternative to ivory, which eventually led to the creation of celluloid.
Parkes' invention of Parkesine, however, predated celluloid and marked a significant leap in the plastics revolution. It was the first synthetic plastic, derived from cellulose nitrate, cotton fibres dissolved in nitric and sulphuric acids, and then mixed with vegetable oil. This new material could be used to create cheap substitutes for items previously made from scarce materials like ivory and tortoiseshell, such as piano keys and combs.
The creation of Parkesine set a precedent for the role of plastics in shaping consumer culture. No longer were luxury items the privilege of the few. With the advent of Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, in 1907, the plastics narrative took another decisive turn. Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland created this heat-resistant, durable material, which was the first to be derived from fossil fuels rather than plants or animals.
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Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland
The world's first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in New York in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who is also credited with coining the term "plastics". Baekeland, a Belgian-American chemist, used phenol, an acid derived from coal tar, to create this heat-resistant and durable material.
Bakelite was a significant breakthrough, marking the birth of the modern plastics era. It was the first synthetic plastic derived not from plants or animals but from fossil fuels, specifically coal tar. This marked a decisive turn in the plastics narrative, opening the floodgates to a wave of now-familiar synthetic plastics, including polystyrene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polythene, and nylon.
Before the invention of Bakelite, the development of plastics involved the use of natural materials with intrinsic plastic properties, such as shellac and chewing gum, or the chemical modification of natural materials like rubber, nitrocellulose, collagen, and galalite. The first synthetic plastic, Parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes and patented in 1862, was a semi-synthetic material based on natural substances. It was a significant leap in the plastics revolution, providing a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory and tortoiseshell in items like piano keys and combs.
With the advent of Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, the potential applications of these versatile materials expanded even further. The creation of Bakelite set a precedent for the role of plastics in shaping consumer culture, offering new possibilities for mass-produced, cheap, and easily shaped materials.
The widespread use of plastic began after the Second World War, with a surge in the 1960s and 1970s due to its favourable properties, including affordability, versatility, sanitation, and ease of manufacturing. Today, plastic is the most used type of material in the world, impacting various industries and everyday life.
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Baekeland's work opened the floodgates to a torrent of now-familiar synthetic plastics
The first plastic item was created in 1862 by Birmingham-born Alexander Parkes, who combined cotton fibres dissolved in nitric and sulphuric acids with vegetable oil to create Parkesine, a colourful and inexpensive material that could be used as a substitute for ivory or tortoiseshell. However, it was the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland who, in 1907, created the first synthetic, mass-produced plastic: Bakelite. Baekeland's work on Bakelite is considered the starting point of the modern plastics industry, earning him the moniker "The Father of the Plastics Industry".
Bakelite was made from phenol (then known as carbolic acid) and formaldehyde. Baekeland discovered that by controlling the pressure and temperature applied to these materials, he could create a hard, mouldable plastic. The result was an inexpensive, non-flammable, and versatile material that could be directly moulded into the final shape of the product.
Bakelite was soon used in the production of radios, telephones, and electrical insulators due to its excellent electrical insulation and heat resistance. Its applications quickly spread to most branches of industry. For instance, Rolls Royce began using phenol formaldehyde in its car interiors, and Harrods hosted the first display of new coloured thermosetting plastic tableware.
The invention of Bakelite opened the floodgates to a torrent of now-familiar synthetic plastics. Polyethylene, for example, has been used in everything from shopping bags and shampoo bottles to children's toys, such as Lego. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has become a popular material for beverage bottles, with around 500 billion sold annually. Synthetic plastics have even been used in medical applications, such as artificial hearts made of polyurethane, and in aerospace, with Boeing's 787 plane skin made up of 100% plastic composites.
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The first plastic was a semi-synthetic material, with natural substances as its base
The history of plastic goes back to ancient times, with the use of natural polymers such as rubber and keratin-based materials like horn and tortoiseshell. However, the first manufactured plastic was created in the mid-19th century by Birmingham-born inventor Alexander Parkes, who was driven by the lucrative challenge to find an alternative to ivory and tortoiseshell, which were becoming increasingly scarce due to industrialised goods production.
Parkes' invention, Parkesine, was a semi-synthetic material made from cellulose nitrate (cotton fibres dissolved in nitric and sulphuric acids and mixed with vegetable oil). Patented in 1862, it was a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory and tortoiseshell, and it marked a significant leap in the plastics revolution. It provided a more accessible alternative for items previously made from scarce materials, such as piano keys and combs, setting a precedent for the role of plastics in shaping consumer culture.
The development of plastics then progressed through the chemical modification of natural materials, such as rubber, nitrocellulose, collagen, and milk proteins. This led to the creation of the first fully synthetic plastics, with the wide range of materials we now recognise as modern plastics being developed around 100 years ago. One key breakthrough came in 1907 with the invention of Bakelite by Belgian-born American chemist Leo Baekeland. Baekeland created this heat-resistant, durable material using phenol, an acid derived from coal tar.
Bakelite was the first synthetic plastic derived not from plants or animals but from fossil fuels, and it opened the floodgates to a torrent of now-familiar synthetic plastics. This marked a decisive turn in the plastics narrative, with the mass production of plastics leading to their common use after World War II and a surge in popularity during the 1960s and 1970s due to their cheap, versatile, sanitary, and easy-to-manufacture properties.
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Frequently asked questions
The first fully synthetic plastic item was Bakelite, invented in 1907 by Belgian-born American Leo Baekeland. It was the first synthetic plastic derived from fossil fuels rather than plants or animals.
Bakelite was a heat-resistant and durable material that opened the floodgates to a torrent of now-familiar synthetic plastics.
Before the invention of fully synthetic plastics, there were early plastics derived from natural materials. These include natural rubber, which Mesoamericans used for balls, bands, and figurines in 1600 BC.
Parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes in 1855, is considered the first manufactured plastic. It was a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory or tortoiseshell.
Parkesine was used to make previously scarce items such as piano keys and combs more accessible to the masses.
