February 5 In History: The World's First Discovery Of Synthetic Plastics

JAKARTA - Today, February 5, more than a century ago or in 1909, scientist from the United States (US) Leo Baekeland, succeeded in creating the world's first synthetic plastic. The discovery, named Bakelite, was first exhibited at the American Chemical Society forum. He's trying to find a replacement for shellac, a product made by processing lac insects.

Launching acs.org, Friday, February 5, 2021, shellac is used for various purposes, such as clothing dyes, make-up and insulating coatings. Of the different species of lac insects, it takes thousands of lac insects to harvest a fair amount of shellac resin, even though little shellac is produced. Besides that, the production is time consuming and expensive. Cheaper and easier alternatives will certainly be profitable.

Meanwhile, while working on the asbestos binder, a heat-resistant material in the outer brake lining, Baekeland combines phenol and formaldehyde to produce what he calls bakelite. Bakelite is moldable and is better than shellac and is less expensive to manufacture.

In addition, it can be printed very quickly, a big advantage in the mass production process where many identical units are produced one after another. Bakelite is a type of material that, once molded, retains its shape even when heated.

Bakelite is also very suitable for the growing electrical and automobile industry because of its extraordinarily high durability. Bakelite is directly used for all non-conductor parts of radios and other electrical devices, such as sockets for light bulbs and electron tubes, supports for all types of electrical components, car distributor caps and other insulators.

As the use of electricity grew, easily moldable bakelite was found in almost every area of modern life. From jewelery and iron handles to telephones and washing machine impellers, bakelite is seen everywhere and is always present in the technological infrastructure. The Baekeland company that produces bakelite even has the slogan 'Ingredients for a Thousand Uses'.

Development of synthetic plastics

Pure Bakelite resin is yellow in color and can also be used in other colors. Unfortunately, this material is quite brittle and must be strengthened with other substances, usually cellulose in the form of sawdust. Afterward, all colors become opaque and are often dull and muddy. In 1930, the Baekeland company built a 128-hectare factory in New Jersey to meet the market demand for synthetic plastics.

However, over time, it has become known that bakelite is not a good insulator like celluloid. Therefore, various studies were conducted to find new plastics. Baekland then made phenol, an acid that comes from coal. The result, can bring polystyrene to nylon.

Today, synthetic plastics are everywhere and easy to take for granted. Almost everyone can name a dozen well-known products that are made partly or completely with plastics: toys, computers, sports equipment, home appliances, signage, office supplies, packaging, telephones and fashion accessories.

Baekeland opens the door to the Plastics Age and fosters the growth of a worldwide industry that currently employs more than 60 million people. As the future unfolds, plastics and other synthetic polymers will play an increasingly versatile role in medicine, electronics, aerospace and advanced structural composites.