BAKELITE
Ben Hastie, Daniel Bacon-Brown, Billy Martin, MaKenzie Ball
MSE 404G Fall 2010
Bakelite
or
Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride
• Among first synthetic
plastics developed
(1907)
• Thermoset plastic
• Formed via elimination
reaction of phenol and
formaldehyde
• CAS number:
9003-35-4
Producing Bakelite
• Less flammable than
celluloid
• Dr. Leo Baekeland started
the corporation around
1910
• Molding
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Formula cooked until resinous
Thin sheets to harden
Ground (fillers)
Hot rollers
Ground
Molded with high heat and
pressure
• Casting
– Modified formula to allow
resin to be poured into molds
– Ovens until polymerized and
hard
– Could be tinted or marbleized
into more colors
– These were sold as
cylinders/blocks to jewelry
makers
• New technology after WWII
led to injection-molding
(less labor-intensive)
leading way to a new
generation of plastics
Bakelite-Electrical Usage
• Due to the fact the
Bakelite has high
electrical resistance, it
was used in many
electrical applications
– Radio
• All non-conducting parts
– Automobile
• Distributor Caps
• Became unpopular to
use because of its color
Space Exploration
• Bakelite was used
as the heat
shielding in the
Galileo spacecraft,
which was sent to
Jupiter in 1989.
Uses in weaponry
• Very important in World War II
• The US Government needed
materials for weapons.
• Bakelite was used because it
was relatively cheap and
lightweight compared to steel. It
was also easy to make into
complex shapes.
• Bakelite was primarily used to
make hand grenade casings and
grips for machine guns.
• Still used in some modern weapons.
• Mostly magazine casings, but
some grips as well.
Bakelite magazine casing for
modern machine gun
Other Applications and Usages
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Saxophone Mouthpieces
Whistles
Cameras
Solid-Body Electric Guitars
Rotary-Dial Telephones
Early Machine
Guns
• Appliance Casing
• Jewelry ‘20s-’30s
• Clocks, Radios,
Kitchenware
Today:
• Porcelain Substitute
• Billiard Balls
• Dominoes
• Pieces for Chess,
•
Checkers, and
•
Backgammon
fin