Hoping to capitalize on shortages of naturally occurring shellac—used to insulate electrical cables in the early years of the 20th century—Baekeland and Thurlow, as well as several other investigators, were experimenting with soluble resins. This popular plastic adornment was made in transparent versions, reversed carved, resin washed, and clad with metal among other variations. Pronunciation . Baekeland's first patent in the field had been granted in 1906; in all, he took out more than 400 patents related to the manufacture and applications of Bakelite. ACS Spring 2021 When the phenol is taken in excess and the reaction medium is made acidic, the product of the... Bakelite Structure. More than 40 years were to pass before the invention of the first wholly synthetic plastic. "Plastic" (from the Greek "plastikos," meaning moldable) is the popular term for a variety of synthetic, or manmade, polymers. Funding to support the advancement of the chemical sciences through research projects. I have also heated an open tube rammed with a mixture of asbestos fiber and liquid. Phenol and formaldehyde reacted under pressure at high temperature in this sealed autoclave -known affectionately as 'Old Faithful' by early operators - to form the thermosetting resin Bakelite. Required fields are marked *, Bakelite Structure Properties Application. Identifying by Weight. It is a thermosetting polymer and Bakelite has high strength meaning it basically retains its form even after extensive molding. Due to its excellent insulating properties it is used for making switches and other electrical appliances. Nor could these compounds be purified into a crystalline form. It has been aptly named as the ‘Material of a Thousand Uses’. Dr. Graham thought such substances represented an entirely different organization of matter. In some instances, several colors were even laminated together. This phenol-formaldehyde resin is a thermosetting polymer. As such, Bakelite is one of the commercially manufactured polymers that we witness in our daily lives. I call it Bakalite (sic) and it is obtained by heating A or B or C in closed vessels." USES OF BAKELITE: Bakelite due to its high resistance to electricity and heat is used in automotive components and industrial applications. In general, phenol taken in excess acts as the cross-linking agent. Find awards and scholarships advancing diversity in the chemical sciences. See -ite. Used by Baekeland around 1909, 'Old Faithful' was kept by the General Bakelite Corporation and its successor, Union Carbide Co., which donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1983. While at first Bakelite was used for industrial applications because of its electrical insulating properties, it was soon used in manufacturing anything from inexpensive costume jewelry to dinnerware. Your email address will not be published. Whether intentionally or not, Baekeland settled the argument for good a year later when, at 26, he married Swarts' daughter, Celine, and, two days afterward they left for the United States. Further, Bakelite has been used for making the handles of a variety of utensils. And he was a public man: In World War I, Baekeland was appointed to the Nitrate Supply Commission and served as president of the committee on patents of the National Research Council. This article will explain how originals were made, the simple tests anyone can use to separate genuine Bakelite from look-alike, and the common warning signs of new, fake and reproduction pieces. Some 5,000 years ago, we learned how to make alloys of copper, and the Bronze Age began. “The Bakelizer” commemorative booklet produced by the National Historic Chemical Landmarks program of the American Chemical Society in 1993 (PDF). Unfortunately, it was quite brittle and had to be strengthened by "filling" with other substances, usually cellulose in the form of sawdust. Since it cannot be remelted, the disposal of this material has become an environmental issue. Bakelite is a synthetic plastic resin first produced over a century ago, and used in thousands of applications. Diversity in Chemistry Awards By 1863, the ivory shortage had become so critical that a New York billiard-ball manufacturer offered a $10,000 prize to the person who could create a useful substitute. Promoting excellence in science education and outreach. It was crafted into rotary-dial telephones, radios, electric guitars, appliance parts, door knobs, bangles, and more. He was born in Belgium, in the Flemish city of Ghent, on November 14, 1863. Launch and grow your career with career services and resources. The newlyweds' trip to America was financed with a traveling fellowship he had received for academic study abroad. Because Bakelite is easily shaped it is used in many different ways and in many different shapes and sizes. Bakelite feels heavier when … Also known as Phenolic Laminated Sheets, Bakelite Sheet is double-sided high-pressure laminate, which is well known for its electrical insulation properties and mechanical strength. Polymers ("poly" = many) are very large molecules—veritable giants in the molecular world—comprised of smaller molecules called monomers ("mono" = one). Bakelite is a non-conductive and heat resistant material makes it ideal for electrical insulators. The introduction of Bakelitethe worlds first synthetic plasticin 1907 marked the introduction of the Polymer Age. Baekeland later decided that "C" and "D" were equivalent. Versatile and readily molded, Bakelite found wide use in the expanding consumer economy and opened the door to an era of synthetic materials. By 1897, he was a citizen of a new and exciting country, and a visible part of a fledgling chemical industry. On June 18, 1907, Baekeland began a new laboratory notebook (now in the Archives Center of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History) documenting the results of tests in which he applied a phenol and formaldehyde mixture to various pieces of wood. An item composed of bakelite. Watch the video below to learn how to test for Bakelite, or skip it and read the same material below the video Safe chemical testing One of the simplest ways to test whether a piece of plastic is in fact Bakelite, is to use a household cleaning product. American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks. Smithsonian National Museum of American History curator Arthur P. Molella and ACS Past President Helen M. Free during the designation of the Bakelizer as the first National Historic Chemical Landmark in 1993. He started semi-commercial production in his laboratory and, in 1910, when daily output had reached 180 liters, (most of it for electrical insulators), he formed a U.S. company to manufacture and market his new industrial material. Bakelite® was widely used in the 1920s and 1930s in the United States and Great Britain. Bakelite moldings are heat-resistant and scratch-resistant. When the phenol is taken in excess and the reaction medium is made acidic, the product of the condensation reaction obtained is acidic. Centuries later the Iron Age introduced iron as the material of choice. Take action: Nominate a Landmark and Contact the NHCL Coordinator. 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA | service@acs.org | 1-800-333-9511 (US and Canada) | 614-447-3776 (outside North America), Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. ", Baekeland made the first public announcement of his invention on February 8, 1909, in a lecture before the New York section of the American Chemical Society. See more. We are surrounded by objects, most of which, some way or the other have a polymer associated with them. The introduction of Bakelite—the world’s first synthetic plastic—in 1907 marked the introduction of the Polymer Age. The ease of molding polymers into different shapes and their relatively low cost of production has been the main reason for their universal usage. Reactions: Chemistry Science Videos & Infographics The Bakelizer, a steam pressure vessel used by Leo Hendrik Baekeland to commercialize his discovery of Bakelite - the world's first completely synthetic plastic. Chemistry at Home Industrial Bakelite products include radios, electrical and automobile distributor caps and wiring insulation. Chemists did not fully understand or identify polymers until around 1900. Bakelite jewelry (most of which was originally marketed as Catalin) goes way beyond stacks of bangles in solid colors. It was there that Baekeland's lifelong commitment to chemistry began. For thousands of years, humans used stone to fashion tools. Fortunately, Baekeland's mother, a domestic servant, insisted that he also be allowed to attend a government high school. Soon young Leo had also enrolled in night classes in chemistry, mechanics and photography, paying his way by working as a pharmacist's assistant. How to Clean Bakelite Door Handles If you have an unclean door handle made of Bakelite, you can use the procedure described above for … Uncover the Chemistry in Everyday Life, Recognizing and celebrating excellence in chemistry and celebrate your achievements. Bakelite could be melted and poured into lead molds to form the shape of a radio. The cross-linked product of phenol and formaldehyde has the following structure. Bakelite also known as  polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride is a thermosetting phenol … While tough, Bakelite will … Bakelite was the forerunner of the modern plastics industry. These characteristics make Bakelite ideal to use for components in electrical parts, such as electrical switches. Like other scientists of their day, Baekeland and Thurlow understood the potential of phenol-formaldehyde resins. New products will be manufactured and molded all over the world—in complex processes that began with Leo Baekeland, an idea, and the Bakelizer. But Baekeland found himself less interested in pure chemistry than in its potential applications, and the two men often quarreled. He named his son after George Washington, worked hard to overcome his Belgian accent, and—in his personal diaries, at least—expressed a firm belief that America and Americans were superior to all things European. 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