Chloe Zhang
The 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. For centuries, people used natural materials with plastic properties, such as rubber, amber, horn, and tortoise shell, which could be heated and moulded into various objects. Early plastics were bio-derived materials such as egg and blood proteins, and in 1600 BC, Mesoamericans used natural rubber for balls, bands, and figurines. The development of plastics accelerated with Charles Goodyear's discovery of vulcanised rubber in 1839, and Parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes in 1855, is considered the first manufactured plastic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1907 |
| Inventor | Leo Baekeland |
| Place of invention | New York |
| Type of plastic | Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic |
| Plastic composition | Formaldehyde and phenol, under heat and pressure |
| Plastic properties | Durable, heat-resistant, good electrical and thermal insulator, lightweight, opaque, brownish |
| Plastic applications | Telephone casings, saucepan handles, electrical sockets, ashtrays, camera, telephone, radio |
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What You'll Learn
The first plastic was Bakelite, invented in 1907
Bakelite was a hard, infusible, and chemically resistant plastic, based on a chemical combination of phenol and formaldehyde (phenol-formaldehyde resin). These two compounds were derived from coal tar and wood alcohol (methanol), respectively. Baekeland's invention of Bakelite marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry, with the first patent application filed in 1907 and the founding of his General Bakelite Company in 1910.
The creation of Bakelite was a significant advance over earlier plastics, which were based on modified natural materials. It was also a revolutionary moment for the chemical industry, which at the time derived most of its income from cloth dyes and explosives. Bakelite's commercial success inspired the industry to develop other synthetic plastics.
Bakelite was popular because it could be molded and then hardened into any shape, and it was electrically non-conductive and heat-resistant. It became a great commercial success and was used in a wide range of products, including electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms. It was marketed as "the material of a thousand uses," and its retro appeal has made old Bakelite products collectible.
The development of plastics has evolved from the use of naturally plastic materials, such as gums and shellac, to the use of chemical modifications of those materials, and finally to completely synthetic plastics like Bakelite. The creation of new materials helped free people from the social and economic constraints imposed by the scarcity of natural resources, and the plastics revolution has continued to shape our world.
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It was the first fully synthetic plastic
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 was a Belgian-American chemist, and his invention combined two chemicals, formaldehyde and phenol, under heat and pressure.
Bakelite was the first plastic derived not from plants or animals, but from fossil fuels. Baekeland used phenol, an acid derived from coal tar. Bakelite was durable, heat-resistant, and well-suited for mechanical mass production. It could be shaped or moulded into almost anything, providing endless possibilities.
The development of Bakelite sparked a consumer boom in affordable yet highly desirable products. It had a dark brown, wood-like appearance, making it ideal for bringing new design trends such as Art Deco to the masses. Some products became 20th-century icons, including the Purma camera, the GPO telephone, and the Ekco AD36 radio.
Bakelite was also significant because it opened the door to a wave of new synthetic plastics. The creation of Bakelite led major chemical companies to invest in the research and development of new polymers, and soon, new plastics joined celluloid. The early 20th century saw the development of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by Russian chemists Ivan Ostromislensky and Fritz Klatte, although it would not be successfully used in commercial applications until 1926, when Waldo Semon devised a method for plasticizing PVC.
While Bakelite was the first fully synthetic plastic, it was not the first plastic to be invented. For centuries, people had been using naturally derived plastics, such as rubber, amber, horn, and tortoise shell, which are all organic polymers. Early plastics were bio-derived materials, and the development of plastics evolved from the use of these natural materials to the chemical modification of them, and finally, to completely synthetic plastics.
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Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland invented it
The first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented in 1907 by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland. Baekeland was born in Belgium but later moved to the United States, where he invented Bakelite in New York.
Baekeland invented Bakelite by combining two chemicals, formaldehyde and phenol (an acid derived from coal tar), under heat and pressure. The result was a material that was durable, heat-resistant, and well-suited for mechanical mass production. Baekeland coined the term "plastics" with his invention, which could be shaped or moulded into almost anything.
Bakelite's electrical and thermal insulating properties, coupled with its lightweight nature, made it ideal for a variety of applications, including telephone casings, saucepan handles, electrical sockets, and ashtrays. Its dark brown, wood-like appearance also made it suitable for bringing new design trends such as Art Deco to the masses.
The invention of Bakelite sparked a consumer boom in affordable yet highly desirable products and opened the floodgates to a wave of new synthetic plastics, including polystyrene in 1929, polyester in 1930, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polythene in 1933, and nylon in 1935.
The development of plastics has come a long way, from the use of naturally plastic materials like gums and shellac to the creation of completely synthetic plastics. Today, dozens of different types of plastics are produced, each serving a variety of purposes.
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Bakelite was a combination of formaldehyde and phenol
The world's first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in New York in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics". Belgian-born 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. Chemists had begun to recognize that many natural resins and fibres were polymers. Baekeland's initial intent was to find a replacement for shellac, a natural electrical insulator, to meet the needs of the rapidly electrifying United States.
Phenol and formaldehyde are derived from coal tar and wood alcohol (methanol), respectively. By controlling the pressure and temperature applied to phenol and formaldehyde, Baekeland produced a hard, mouldable material that he named Bakelite, after himself and the heat-curing process it required. It was the first synthetic thermosetting plastic produced, and Baekeland speculated on the many articles it could be used to make. 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 fibres.
Bakelite is a phenol-formaldehyde resin, formed through the reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, followed by cross-linking of the polymeric chains. These phenol-formaldehyde resins are heat-resistant and waterproof, though somewhat brittle. The reaction between phenol and aldehyde was first reported in 1872 by Adolf von Baeyer, though its use as a commercial product was not considered at the time. Experiments with phenolic resins had actually preceded Baekeland's work, but these trials had only succeeded in producing viscous liquids or brittle solids of no apparent value. It was Baekeland who succeeded in controlling the phenol-formaldehyde condensation reaction to produce the first synthetic resin.
Bakelite's commercial success inspired the industry to develop other synthetic plastics. As the world's first commercial synthetic plastic, Bakelite was named a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society. In the UK, a merger of three British phenol formaldehyde resin suppliers formed Bakelite Limited in 1926. A new Bakelite factory opened in Tyseley, Birmingham, around 1928. It was the heart of Bakelite production in the UK until it closed in 1987.
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It was marketed as the material of a thousand uses
The first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, a Belgian-American chemist. Baekeland coined the term "plastics" and his invention sparked a consumer boom in affordable yet desirable products.
Bakelite was an industrial plastic founded on a synthetic polymer, combining formaldehyde and phenol, two chemicals derived from coal tar, under heat and pressure. It was durable, heat-resistant, and could be shaped or moulded into almost anything, providing endless possibilities. It was marketed as "the material of a thousand uses", and its electrical and thermal insulating properties, coupled with its lightweight nature, made it ideal for mass production. Bakelite soon found extensive applications, including telephone casings, saucepan handles, electrical sockets, and ashtrays.
The creation of Bakelite freed people from the social and economic constraints imposed by the scarcity of natural resources. Baekeland's discovery of synthetic plastic, which was not derived from plants or animals but from fossil fuels, opened the floodgates to a torrent of now-familiar synthetic plastics.
The development of plastics has evolved from the use of naturally plastic materials, such as gums and shellac, to the use of chemical modifications of those materials, and finally to completely synthetic plastics. Early plastics were bio-derived materials such as egg and blood proteins, which are organic polymers. In around 1600 BC, Mesoamericans used natural rubber for balls, bands, and figurines. In the nineteenth century, as chemistry developed during the Industrial Revolution, many new materials were reported, and the development of plastics accelerated.
The first synthetic polymer was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt, who treated cellulose derived from cotton fibre with camphor. This discovery was revolutionary, as it allowed humans to create and manipulate materials, freeing manufacturing from the limits of nature.
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Frequently asked questions
The first plastic, Parkesine, was patented in 1862 by Birmingham-born artisan-cum-chemist Alexander Parkes. It was a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory or tortoiseshell.
The first fully synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented in New York in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, who coined the term "plastics".
Bakelite was a good insulator, durable, heat resistant, and ideally suited for mechanical mass production. It could be shaped or moulded into almost anything, and it sparked a consumer boom in affordable yet highly desirable products.
Early plastics were made from natural materials such as rubber, amber, horn, and tortoise shell. By heating and moulding these substances, people created a diverse range of objects.
