Bakelite - History

History

Dr. Baekeland had originally set out to find a replacement for shellac, made from the excretion of lac beetles. Chemists had begun to recognize that many natural resins and fibres were polymers, and Baekeland investigated the reactions of phenol and formaldehyde. He first produced a soluble phenol-formaldehyde shellac called "Novolak" that never became a market success, then turned to developing a binder for asbestos which, at that time, was molded with rubber. By controlling the pressure and temperature applied to phenol and formaldehyde, he produced a hard moldable material and patented in 1907 known as Bakelite. It was the very first synthetic thermosetting plastic ever made. It was often referred to as "the material of 1000 uses", a phrase originated by Baekeland himself. He announced the invention at a meeting of the American Chemical Society on February 5, 1909.

The Bakelite Corporation was formed in 1922 (after patent litigation favorable to Baekeland) from a merger of three companies: the General Bakelite Company which Baekeland founded in 1910, the Condensite Company, founded by J.W. Aylesworth, and the Redmanol Chemical Products Company, founded by L.V. Redman. A factory was built near Bound Brook, New Jersey in 1929.

Bakelite Limited, a merger of three phenol formaldehyde resin suppliers (Damard Lacquer Company Limited of Birmingham; Mouldensite Limited of Darley Dale and Redmanol Chemical Products Company of London) was formed in 1926. A new factory opened in Tyseley, Birmingham, England around 1928 and was subsequently demolished in 1998.

In 1939 the companies were acquired by Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation. Union Carbide's phenolic resin business including the Bakelite and Bakelit registered trademarks are owned by Momentive Specialty Chemicals.