The Man who Created Plastic
Plastic in one form or the other can be seen anywhere and everywhere on earth. Be it a snow clad mountain or a deserted hill top, plastic can for sure be seen. Though natural products are the source of plastic, it is completely synthetic. Plastic was first produced in 1907. It was called 'Baekelite' as the man who created it was Leo Hendrik Baekeland, an American scientist.
Baekeland was born in 1863 at a place called Ghent in Belgium. When he was just eight years of age, his school teacher had told him the story of Benjamin Franklin, the first scientist of America. He had never dreamt that he would become an American citizen one day. His only subject of interest was science. He studied at Ghent University and secured his doctorate degree at the age of 21 years. He obtained a scholarship and went to the United States of America. Thanks to the scholarship which opened the doors of opportunities to him. He gained vast knowledge by visiting universities in Germany, France, Scotland and England. When he was in New York, by virtue of his hobby of photography, he secured a job at H.T.Anthony & Company. There, Baekeland opened his own laboratory. He conducted research and made and made special photographic paper which could be used to develop photographs clicked in artificial light. Till then, photographers were clicking in sunlight and photography was not possible without sunlight. Then, Baekeland produced Vela Paper which was not very popular in the initial days. But later, it became a big hit in the market and its production started on a large scale.
Baekeland later aimed at making a resin which was resistant to oils and acid. Once he mixed Formaldehyde and Carbolic acid. He guessed that a product like lac may be obtained by dissolving the solution obtained by such a mixture. The result secured with such a liquid was water resistant, hard and a bad conductor of electricity. It was hard after drying and could not be dissolved again. Baekeland put the mix in a glass vessel and boiled it at a higher temperature. The mix liquefied and and in a little time turned transparent like glass and took the shape of the vessel. When the vessel was cooled, a vessel shaped glass like container fell down.
Baekeland was happy about his achievement. The first plastic container of the world was produced. It was called Baekelite after Leo Hendrik Baekeland.
This was the first attempt at thermo-setting plastics. It hardens after boiling. Its shape doesnot change after cooling. Baekeland announced the discovery of Baekelite around 1909. since Baekelite was a bad conductor of electricity, it very much attracted the manufacturers of electrical appliances. Baekelite replaced celluloid material which were known to liquefy after heating. Baekelite is used now in the manufacture of electric wires, electric switches, telephones, televisions, automobiles, aeroplanes, rockets and what not.
Thanks to Baekelite, Baekeland acquired both wealth and recognition at his old age. In 1924, he was elected president of American Chemical Society. He died at a place called Beacon near New York in the year 1944. When he made plastic, he only thought of its uses and not the absuses. Today, exactly after hundred years, plastic has become the greatest danger for the environment. Nevertheless, the world shall never forget the contributions of this scientist, who was known for his perseverance and restraint, and very much responsible for the various forms of plastic which constitutes 80% of the modern man's daily utilities, excelling even iron and steel.
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