Bakelite is the first plastic made entirely from synthetic components rather than from modified natural materials. The Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland developed it in Yonkers, New York in 1907 and received a patent for the process on December 7, 1909. Bakelite's combination of heat resistance, electrical insulation and moldability made it valuable for early electrical and mechanical parts, telephones, radios and household goods, and it is widely credited with launching the modern plastics industry.
Facts
Patent or First-Use Date SignificanceProducing hard, compact, insoluble, and infusible condensation products of phenols and formaldehyde marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry. 1 FAQs
What is Bakelite made from?
Phenol and formaldehyde.
Bakelite is made from phenol and formaldehyde. It is a hard, chemically resistant synthetic resin that the chemist Leo Baekeland invented in 1907.
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Source Bakelite (Wikipedia)
Invented By
Developed the first fully synthetic plastic in Yonkers, New York in 1907 and patented the process in 1909.
Sources
1. Bakelite (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia Bakelite, lead paragraph
It was developed by chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York, in 1907, and patented on December 7, 1909.
Wikipedia Bakelite, Discovery section, USPTO grant sentence
The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Baekeland a patent for a "Method of making insoluble products of phenol and formaldehyde" on December 7, 1909.
Wikipedia Bakelite, Discovery section, closing sentence
Producing hard, compact, insoluble, and infusible condensation products of phenols and formaldehyde marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry.
View the Source Bakelite (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia- In Group: Synthetic Polymers and Polymerization Processes, lead sentence
In Field: Chemical Engineering, Introduction
Bakelite ( BAY-kÉ™-lyte) is the first plastic made from synthetic components.
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