Bakelite is a synthetic resin that has multiple uses.
Bakelite is a synthetic plastic that the chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland created in 1907 , although there were some previous experiments carried out by the German Adolf von Baeyer . Two years after its discovery, Baekeland made it known at a formal level and then founded a company to commercially exploit Bakelite. Thanks to his creation, this scientist managed to become a millionaire.
Baekeland , born in 1863 in Belgium and died in 1944 in the United States , was the discoverer of the synthetic resin whose name pays tribute to him. His surname derived from the English term bakelite : in our language , the concept came as bakelite .
What is bakelite
Bakelite is a polymer : a macromolecule that is obtained from the linking of other simpler molecules called monomers . This substance is considered the first plastic resin that is absolutely synthetic.
In more technical terms, we can say that Bakelite is synthesized from formaldehyde and phenol molecules, following a process that bears the same name as its creator, in a ratio of two to three: the formaldehyde acts as a bridge between the molecules. of phenol and loses oxygen due to the condensations it undergoes successively.
Phenol, on the other hand, loses between two and three hydrogen atoms, so that each molecule of formaldehyde establishes a connection with two of phenol, and each of the latter, with two or three of formaldehyde, opening the doors to the so-called crossovers . When phenol is present in excess, phenols can be obtained that connect only with two formaldehydes through the same condensation reaction .
Bakelite used to be used to make phone casings.
Its properties
Bakelite has several properties that make it a widely used resin in various areas of industry. It can be said that this plastic is thermostable : it is insoluble (cannot dissolve) and infusible (cannot melt). While it forms, it can be molded and then solidified. Bakelite is clearly differentiated from thermoplastic polymers, which can be molded and cast more than once.
Bakelite resists the action of solvents and water. On the other hand, it is not an electrically conductive material (that is why it is used to insulate electrical terminals).
Use of Bakelite
The handles and handles of kitchen utensils (such as pots and pans), the buttons of items exposed to heat, the spouts of wine barrels (the leather containers used to store all types of liquids, especially alcoholic beverages), and Phone cases are some of the parts that are usually made from Bakelite.
At first, its use was typical for the manufacture of radio and telephone casings (let's not forget the great differences that these items presented in the past, with robust and sober designs), and it was even applied in the structures of some carburetors.
The 20th century is largely characterized by having given rise to a considerable number of advances in all fields of knowledge and Bakelite is one of the inventions that has most transcended the passage of time. Currently, although scientists use a slightly different formula than the original, this material has not stopped accompanying us for more than a hundred years, as the basis of the most used products in everyday life.
In recent times, many of the first products made with this plastic have become part of various private collections. Although the applications of Bakelite have changed slightly between the early 1900s and today, its properties remain essential for the proper functioning of certain installations and to guarantee maximum safety for their users.