study of Bakelite:the 1st synthetic plastic
AIM: TO MAKE BAKELITE USING PHENOL AND FORMALDEHYDE.
INDRODUCTION:
WHAT IS BAKELITE?
Bakelite or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride is an early plastic. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. It was developed by Belgian-born chemist Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907.
One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrical non-conductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, and children's toys.
HISTORY:
HOW IT CAME INTO BEING.
Dr. Baekeland had originally set out to find a replacement for shellac, made from the excretion of lac bugs. 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.[2][3] It was the first synthetic thermosetting plastic ever made. It was often referred to as "the material of 1000 uses", a phrase originated by Baekeland himself.[4] He announced the invention at a meeting of the American Chemical Society on February 5, 1909.
PROPERTIES OF BAKELITE:
Bakelite can be moulded, and in this regard was better than celluloid and also less expensive to make. Moreover, it could be moulded very quickly, an enormous advantage in mass production processes where many identical units were produced one after the other. Bakelite is a thermosetting resin—that is, once moulded, it retains its shape even if heated or subjected to various solvents.
Bakelite was
INDRODUCTION:
WHAT IS BAKELITE?
Bakelite or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride is an early plastic. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. It was developed by Belgian-born chemist Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907.
One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrical non-conductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, and children's toys.
HISTORY:
HOW IT CAME INTO BEING.
Dr. Baekeland had originally set out to find a replacement for shellac, made from the excretion of lac bugs. 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.[2][3] It was the first synthetic thermosetting plastic ever made. It was often referred to as "the material of 1000 uses", a phrase originated by Baekeland himself.[4] He announced the invention at a meeting of the American Chemical Society on February 5, 1909.
PROPERTIES OF BAKELITE:
Bakelite can be moulded, and in this regard was better than celluloid and also less expensive to make. Moreover, it could be moulded very quickly, an enormous advantage in mass production processes where many identical units were produced one after the other. Bakelite is a thermosetting resin—that is, once moulded, it retains its shape even if heated or subjected to various solvents.
Bakelite was