Maya Ellison
The world's first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, a Belgian-American chemist. However, the history of plastic goes back much further, with humans using naturally derived plastics for thousands of years. For example, in the Middle Ages, translucent slices of animal horn, a natural polymer called keratin, were used to make lantern windows. The Olmecs in Mexico played with balls made of rubber, another natural polymer, around 1600 BC. The development of plastics has since evolved from natural materials to chemically modified substances and, finally, completely synthetic plastics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1907 |
| Inventor | Leo Baekeland |
| Place | New York |
| Type | Synthetic |
| Raw Material | Phenol and Formaldehyde |
| Properties | Heat-resistant, durable, electrical non-conductivity, mouldable |
| Uses | Radio and telephone casings, kitchenware, clocks, jewellery, toys, firearms |
| Commercial Success | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
- Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, was invented in 1907
- Plastic was first derived from natural materials like ivory, rubber, and amber
- Vulcanisation of rubber in the 1840s made rubber tyres possible
- Plastic's structure, made of polymers, allows it to be moulded or shaped
- Plastic was initially developed to replace scarce natural resources
Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, was invented in 1907
The world's first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics". Bakelite was a polymer forged entirely in the lab, paving the way for the successes of companies like DuPont.
Bakelite was invented to replace shellac, a scarce natural resin made from the sticky excretions of the female lac beetle. Shellac was an excellent electrical insulator, and demand for it began shooting up in the early 20th century. However, it was extremely labour-intensive, requiring the excretions of 15,000 beetles over six months to produce a single pound of shellac.
Baekeland, a Belgian-born American, had already made a fortune by developing Velox, the first commercially successful photographic paper. He set up a laboratory in his home to investigate the reactions of phenol and formaldehyde, eventually producing a hard, mouldable material that he named Bakelite, after himself and the heat-curing process it required.
Bakelite was a breakthrough, marking the beginning of the Polymer Age or Age of Plastics. It was strong, lightweight, durable, flexible, non-toxic, and inexpensive to produce, and it could be used to make a wide variety of products. By 1930, the Bakelite Corporation occupied a 128-acre plant in New Jersey, and by the time of Baekeland's death in 1944, world production of Bakelite was estimated at around 175,000 tons, used in over 15,000 different products.
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Plastic was first derived from natural materials like ivory, rubber, and amber
Plastic is derived from synthetic or semisynthetic materials that use polymers as the main ingredient. The first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics". However, the use of plastic-like materials and naturally derived plastics predates this by centuries.
In the Middle Ages, treated cattle horns were used as windows for lanterns. Materials with horn-like properties were developed by treating milk proteins with lye. In the 19th century, as chemistry developed during the Industrial Revolution, many new materials were discovered. The development of plastics accelerated with Charles Goodyear's 1839 discovery of vulcanization, which hardened natural rubber.
The Olmecs in Mexico played with balls made of natural rubber around 1600 BC. In the 1840s, Goodyear and the British Thomas Hancock took out patents on either side of the Atlantic for "vulcanised" rubber, which was treated with sulphur to make it more durable. This discovery made the rubber tyre possible, for both bicycles and motor cars.
The Victorian era was fascinated with natural plastics such as rubber and shellac. The 19th century saw the first European discovery of the rubber tree in the Amazon basin by French explorer Charles-Marie de La Condamine. The Hyatt brothers, John Wesley and Isaiah Smith, would later develop celluloid, an inexpensive material that could be used to imitate ivory, in 1870. This material was used to make products such as jewellery, hair combs, and toothbrush handles.
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Vulcanisation of rubber in the 1840s made rubber tyres possible
The first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics". However, the use of plastic-like materials dates back much further. In the 19th century, natural materials such as rubber, shellac, cork, sawdust, gums, and even blood and milk proteins were combined to create materials with plastic-like qualities.
One of the key developments in the history of plastics was the vulcanisation of rubber in the 1840s, which made rubber tyres possible. Vulcanisation is a process of treating rubber with heat and sulphur to bring it to a molecular state that can be used in a variety of applications. The process was pioneered by Charles Goodyear, who took out a patent for "vulcanised" rubber in 1844. Goodyear had become obsessed with rubber and its potential after a visit to the Roxbury India Rubber Company in New York in 1834, where he saw rubber life vests and believed he could invent a better valve for them. However, it was the store manager who suggested that a more stable form of rubber would be a better invention.
Goodyear devoted his life and fortune to pursuing this goal, selling all his worldly goods to fund his experiments. He mixed chemicals into raw rubber in makeshift laboratories, even ending up in debtor's prison for failing to pay his creditors. Goodyear's relentless experimentation finally paid off when he discovered the process of vulcanisation, which allowed rubber to withstand heat and cold. This discovery revolutionised the rubber industry, which had been on the verge of collapse due to the limitations of natural rubber. Vulcanisation improved the strength, elasticity, and durability of rubber, allowing it to be used in a wide range of commercial products, including automotive tyres, pencil erasers, life jackets, balls, and gloves.
The Goodyear tyre company, named after its pioneering founder, continues to be a famous brand in the tyre industry. Goodyear's discovery of vulcanisation not only made rubber tyres possible but also contributed to the birth of the modern plastics era, showcasing the potential of synthetic materials to transcend the limitations of natural substances.
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Plastic's structure, made of polymers, allows it to be moulded or shaped
The world's first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics". However, the history of plastic goes back much further, with humans using naturally derived plastics for centuries. For example, medieval craftsmen made lantern windows out of translucent slices of animal horn, and ancient Mesoamericans played with balls made of natural rubber.
The structure of plastics, which are largely derived from natural gas and petroleum, allows them to be moulded or shaped. Plastics are synthetic or semisynthetic materials that use polymers as their main ingredient. Polymerisation involves linking hydrocarbon monomers together by chemical polymerisation mechanisms to produce polymers. This process generates thick, viscous substances known as resins, which are used to make plastic products.
The plasticity of plastics allows them to be moulded, extruded, or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, combined with their lightweight, durable, flexible, nontoxic, and inexpensive nature, has led to their widespread use around the world.
There are various methods for moulding plastic, including injection moulding, blow moulding, casting, film blowing, spinning, and 3D printing. Injection moulding involves injecting molten plastic into a mould cavity under high pressure, while blow moulding involves heating and inflating a plastic tube inside a mould to create hollow products. Casting involves pouring liquid resin into a mould, and film blowing uses heat to create a thin, continuous sheet of plastic.
The development of plastics has evolved from the use of naturally derived materials to the chemical modification of these materials, and finally, to completely synthetic plastics. The ability to mould and shape plastic has played a crucial role in its success and widespread adoption.
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Plastic was initially developed to replace scarce natural resources
Plastic has become a ubiquitous part of modern life, but its history is relatively recent. The first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, a Belgian-American chemist. This marked the start of the world's obsession with plastic, as it could be moulded into various shapes and was resistant to electricity and heat.
However, the use of plastic-like materials dates back much further. For centuries, humans have been using naturally derived plastics, such as rubber and shellac, which are made from the excretions of the female lac beetle. Medieval craftsmen made lantern windows out of translucent slices of animal horn, and balls made of natural rubber have been found dating back 3,000 years.
The Victorian era saw a fascination with natural plastics, as they offered a way to transcend the limitations of materials like wood, iron, and glass. The Industrial Revolution further accelerated the development of plastics, with many new materials being reported in the nineteenth century. However, it was the scarcity of natural resources that truly drove the invention of synthetic plastics.
One notable example is the story of John Wesley Hyatt, who improved upon the first man-made plastic, Parkesine, by adding camphor to make it more malleable. He renamed it Celluloid in 1870, and it became the raw material for the film industry. Hyatt's innovation was driven by the scarcity of materials like ivory, which was being used for billiard balls, and the hawksbill turtle shell, which was used for combs.
Another example of plastic replacing scarce natural resources is Bakelite itself. Bakelite was invented to replace shellac, which was becoming increasingly scarce due to the rapid expansion of the electrical industry. It took fifteen thousand beetles six months to produce enough resin for a pound of shellac, so Baekeland combined formaldehyde with phenol, a waste product of coal, to create a more versatile and readily available alternative.
Thus, while the development of plastics has had numerous benefits, it has also contributed to environmental issues, with synthetic plastics often resulting in more waste and harming biodiversity.
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Frequently asked questions
The first man-made plastic was parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes in 1855 and patented in 1856. It was made from a combination of natural cellulose and synthetic materials.
The first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. It was made from phenol (a waste product of coal tar) and formaldehyde.
Before plastic, people used natural materials with plastic properties, such as rubber, amber, horn, shellac, and tortoiseshell, which could be heated and moulded into different shapes.
