BAKELI TE 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:

Producing Bakelite Less flammable than celluloid Dr. Leo Baekeland started the corporation around 1910 Molding – 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 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

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