DESCRIPTION

This is the steam pressure vessel used by Leo H. Baekeland, the chemist and inventor, to produce commercial quantities of the first totally synthetic plastic, Bakelite. It was produced by reacting phenol and formaldehyde under pressure at high temperatures. The product was a thermosetting resin which proved to be an extremely versatile substance, readily moldable and quite strong when combined with fillers such as cellulose.The Bakelizer was used by Dr. Baekeland around 1909. It was dubbed "Old Faithful" by its early operators. Made of iron alloys and still in usable condition, it's about 35 inches wide, 40 inches deep, and nearly 72 inches tall.

USER

Baekeland, L. H.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

iron (overall material)

cast (overall production method/technique)

DATA SOURCE

National Museum of American History

Bakelite, trademark of phenol-formaldehyde resin, trademarked synthetic resin invented in 1907 by Belgian-born American chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland. A hard, infusible, and chemically resistant plastic, Bakelite was based on a chemical combination of phenol and formaldehyde (phenol-formaldehyde resin), two compounds that were derived from coal tar and wood alcohol (methanol), respectively, at that time. This made it the first truly synthetic resin, representing a significant advance over earlier plastics that were based on modified natural materials. Because of its excellent insulating properties, Bakelite was also the first commercially produced synthetic resin, replacing shellac and hard rubber in parts for the electric power industry as well as in home appliances. In the 1920s it was widely used in knobs, dials, circuitry panels, and even cabinets for radios, and it was also employed in the electrical systems of automobiles. In the 1930s cast Bakelite, along with many other competing phenolic resins, enjoyed a vogue in colourful costume jewelry and novelties.

The beginning of the modern plastics industry is often dated to Baekeland’s first patent application in 1907 and to the founding of his General Bakelite Company in 1910. Experiments with phenolic resins had actually preceded Baekeland’s work, beginning in 1872 with the work of German chemist Adolf von Baeyer, but these trials had succeeded only in producing viscous liquids or brittle solids of no apparent value. It was Baekeland who succeeded in controlling the phenol-formaldehyde condensation reaction to produce the first synthetic resin. Baekeland was able to stop the reaction while the resin was still in a liquid state, which he called the A stage. The A resin (resol) could be made directly into a usable plastic, or it could be brought to a solid B stage (resitol) in which, though almost infusible and insoluble, it could still be ground into powder and then softened by heat to a final shape in a mold. Both stages A and B could be brought to a completely cured thermoset C stage (Bakelite C, or true Bakelite) by being heated under pressure.

In 1909 Baekeland made the first public announcement of his invention, in a lecture before the New York section of the American Chemical Society. By 1910 Baekland had a semicommercial production operation established in his laboratory, and in 1911 General Bakelite began operations in Perth Amboy, N.J., U.S. In a plastics market virtually monopolized by celluloid, a highly flammable material that dissolved readily and softened with heat, Bakelite found ready acceptance because it could be made insoluble and infusible. Moreover, the resin would tolerate considerable amounts of inert ingredients and therefore could be modified through the incorporation of various fillers. For general molded parts, wood flour was preferred, but, where heat resistance, impact strength, or electrical properties were involved, other fillers such as cotton flock, asbestos, and chopped fabric were used. For the making of laminated structures, sheets of paper or fabric were impregnated with the resin in an alcohol solution and then heated under pressure to form tough, rigid assemblies. Owing to the inclusion of fillers and reinforcement, Bakelite products were almost always opaque and dark-coloured.

In 1927 the Bakelite patent expired. In the growing consumer market of the 1930s and after, Bakelite faced competition from other thermosetting resins such as urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde and from new thermoplastic resins such as cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, and polystyrene. These new plastics could be used to produce household products in virtually any hue and in varying degrees of clarity. In 1939 Baekeland sold the Bakelite trademark to the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation (now Union Carbide Corporation). Union Carbide sold the trademark in 1992 to the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, which employed Bakelite as a bonding agent for plywood and particleboard. Bakelite is still commonly used for dominoes, mah-jongg tiles, checkers, and chess pieces.

How to Decide if it's Old, Repro, Fake or a Look-alike

In 1984, a so-called "Philadelphia" Bakelite bracelet–a hinged style with multicolored wedges on top–sold for $250. The same bracelets now bring over $4,000. Relatively common Bakelite bangles and pins which brought only $10-$50 in the mid-1990s, are now priced at $50-$300.

As prices have risen, so has the tendency for sellers, either through lack of knowledge or deliberate intent, to call any piece of plastic, "Bakelite." Reproductions are now common and there has been a steady increase in reworked and "married" pieces.

This article will explain how originals were made, the simple tests anyone can use to separate genuine Bakelite from look-alike, and the common warning signs of new, fake and reproduction pieces.

What is Bakelite?

Bakelite is a trade name taken from its inventor, Leo Baekeland, who invented Bakelite in 1907. Bakelite is made from carbolic acid (phenol) and formaldehyde and is referred to as a phenolic resin. Bakelite was the first thermosetting plastic. That means once a Bakelite product is formed, it will not change shape or melt under heat. Plastics formed from other formulas can be reshaped after reheating or will burst into flame if reheated.

Bakelite was first used as insulators against heat and electricity. As ways were found to manufacture Bakelite in bright colors, it began to be used for all sorts of decorative objects, especially jewelry.

Although Bakelite was the trade name of the first thermosetting phenolic resin, it was not the only one. Other important trade or brand names include Catalin, Marblette, Prystal, Phenolia and a number of others. Since brand names rarely appear on the products, collectors generally use "Bakelite" to refer to all of the thermosetting phenolic resins, not just to the Bakelite brand products and that's how we'll use the term. Throughout this article, "Bakelite" will refer to all phenolic resin pieces regardless of their original brand name.

How Bakelite was Made

One of the keys to identifying original Bakelite is to understand how it was manufactured. Modern hard plastics which are often confused with Bakelite, were generally produced by injecting or pouring a liquid resin into a mold which produced the final product. In other words, to get a dog pin, you'd pour plastic into a dog-shaped mold. The mold would create all the details of the finished product such as fur, eyes, collar, etc. When the mold was opened, the final piece was essentially ready for sale.

Bakelite was very rarely molded into individual pieces of finished jewelry. The great majority of Bakelite jewelry was made by hand from stock shapes of raw material. Bakelite's unique properties lent itself to extrusion casting. If you wanted to make bracelets, for example, you'd extrude a long tube with the rough shape (Fig. 4) preformed. Workers would then slice off various widths from the tube, decorate, and polish them by hand. The buckles in Fig. 5 were sliced from tubes extruded with the buckle shapes preformed. Because decorating was done by hand, special designs and small custom orders could easily be made without the overhead of expensive molds required by hard plastics. Anyone could buy the raw Bakelite material and small studios and amateurs could afford to experiment with their own jewelry designs.

Tests for Genuine Bakelite

Unlike other plastics, authentic Bakelite oxidizes over the years developing a patina which changes the surface color. Exposure to sunlight, body fluids, cosmetics and other factors contribute to patinas and color changes associated with normal age and wear. An example of typical color change is shown in Fig. 6

Normal oxidation provides a valuable clue whether a suspected piece is true Bakelite (phenolic resin) or a look-alike material. All true Bakelite, regardless of surface color (Figs. 7-8), will leave an ivory or pale yellow smear on a cotton swab wetted with one of several common products: the cleaning fluids "409" and "Scrubbing Bubbles" and "Simichrome Polish". Look-alike materials such as modern hard plastics, will not leave any color on the swab or will leave a smear the same the color as the plastic (blue plastic will leave a blue smear, etc.).

All the testing products cause eye and skin irritation and should be used carefully; rubber gloves are recommended. Use a tiny amount of material; it doesn't take much. Apply to a small, hidden area such as the back side of a pin or inside of a bracelet. Scrubbing Bubbles can dull the original finish; Simichrome will leave the tested area with a higher shine; 409 leave the surface virtually unchanged and is the best choice.

Most non-Bakelite products are not affected by the products, but you should always be careful and carefully wash and wipe dry all tested areas to prevent any possible long-term changes.

The swab test is effective on virtually all Bakelite. The most common exceptions are pieces of genuine Bakelite that have recently been completely polished or cleaned and the original patina has been removed. Certain colors, particularly black and some reds, can also occasionally give confusing results.

Another easy, simple test is to place a suspected piece under hot water from your household faucet. Hold the piece so an edge is in the middle of the flow. After 20-30 seconds, quickly hold the piece up to your nose. The vast majority of genuine Bakelite gives off a strong phenol odor similar to paint remover or varnish. Modern plastics and other look-alike materials do not produce any odor when held under hot water produced by the average household hot water heater.

Other Considerations

Once you determine a piece is made from genuine Bakelite, it doesn't mean you have proved the piece is necessarily old. There is a surprising amount of original unfinished Bakelite stock that has survived. This old but never-used stock, can be carved today (Fig. 17) and offered as vintage Bakelite. Genuine vintage jewelry that is plain and low value, is frequently carved into more desirable and higher priced designs. Old stock and carved pieces will both pass the swab and hot water tests because the pieces are genuine Bakelite.

One way to confirm age is to carefully examine the findings, or hardware, such as pins, hinges, etc. Findings on genuine vintage Bakelite jewelry are generally attached with mechanical fasteners such as tiny screws, pins and nails. Findings in modern plastic are typically cast into the jewelry as it is being poured or glued on later. Original metal findings almost always shows some tarnish or even rust. Beware of shiny hardware with no sign of normal age or wear.

Since genuine Bakelite produces a patina, outer surfaces on truly vintage pieces should normally be darker than protected inner surfaces. Insides of bracelets, for example, should be lighter in color than the exposed outer surfaces. Backs of pins and earrings should also be lighter than exposed outer surfaces.

Virtually all authentic Bakelite jewelry was hand machined or carved and should show some tool marks. Vintage tool marks are, however, at the very least, tumbled and rounded off, never jagged or sharp. Grinding marks with a frosted, chalky appearance are typical signs of recent carving.

Tool marks should also be logical. An original carver, working by the hour or piece-rate, would spend more time finishing exposed surfaces rather than finishing hidden surfaces that were not exposed. Tool marks in hidden areas are more obvious than marks on exposed surfaces. Surfaces of reworked or newly carved pieces are sometimes completely polished on all sides, regardless if the surface is exposed or hidden.

Warnings signs of typical reproductions, copies and look-alike Bakelite are shown at the top of the next page. One of the more obvious signs that a piece could not possibly be a piece of Bakelite is a mold seam. Authentic Bakelite, made piece by piece with hand finishing, never has a mold seam. Modern hard plastics produced in a mold, virtually always have a mold seam

Click HERE for original article and more

Dedicated November 9, 1993, at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Commemorative Booklet (PDF)

History is shaped by the materials we develop and use. For thousands of years, humans used stone to fashion tools. Some 5,000 years ago, we learned how to make alloys of copper, and the Bronze Age began. Centuries later the Iron Age introduced iron as the material of choice. The introduction of Bakelite—the world’s first synthetic plastic—in 1907 marked the introduction of the Polymer Age.