100 years of Bakelite at Gent University

http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...Bof%2BBakelite

100 years of Bakelite

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented
exactly a century ago. To mark this event and honour the plastic's
Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland Ghent University is staging a special
exhibition.
It was in 1907 and in the United States that the Ghent expatriate Leo
Baekeland applied for a patent on the production of a new substance.
Within years the new material was to become known as Bakelite.

To mark the centenary Ghent University is staging an exhibition to
honour the first plastic and its inventor in the University Aula
located at Voldersstraat 9.

At the beginning of the last century Bakelite was used to manufacture
many new items like electric plugs and telephones.

Manmade fibres are polymers that consist of very long molecules in
which the same building blocks occur in long chains again and again.
A cheap and handy alternative
The Belgian Leo Baekeland was the first scientist to develop polymers
that could be used as a handy industrial material.

Until then only artificial materials like celluloid made up of natural
building blocks existed.

Bakelite proved to be a cheap and reliable alternative for materials
like bone, porcelain or ivory.

The development of Bakelite opened the way for the large scale
industrial production of household items.

Today Bakelite is not used as much as before. Often there are cheaper
alternatives, but for some items Bakelite remains the choice material.

Leo Baekeland was born in Ghent (East Flanders) as the son of a
cobbler. It was only thanks to a grant that he was able study
chemistry.

After marrying his professor's daughter he travelled to the United
States.

Thanks to the money he made as a result of his invention of a new type
of photographic paper, Velox, he was able to continue his research
into hard resins.

He sold the Velox patent to Kodak for 750,000 dollars, an enormous sum
at this time.

This research later allowed him to apply for the Bakelite patent.

The exhibition in Ghent shows the benefits of the new material. Safe
plugs and switches that do not conduct electric current can be made.

Motor parts are no longer damaged by acids and oils.

Pan handles no longer convey heat and more on a downside perhaps
landmines can no longer be detected by metal detectors.

Where? When?
The exhibition in Ghent can be seen until 13 April from 10 to 5 PM.

It is not open on university holidays (!).

On 29 Mar, 17:26, "ocelot" wrote:
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...2BToday/what%2...

100 years of Bakelite

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented
exactly a century ago. To mark this event and honour the plastic's
Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland Ghent University is staging a special
exhibition.
It was in 1907 and in the United States that the Ghent expatriate Leo
Baekeland applied for a patent on the production of a new substance.
Within years the new material was to become known as Bakelite.

To mark the centenary Ghent University is staging an exhibition to
honour the first plastic and its inventor in the University Aula
located at Voldersstraat 9.

At the beginning of the last century Bakelite was used to manufacture
many new items like electric plugs and telephones.

Manmade fibres are polymers that consist of very long molecules in
which the same building blocks occur in long chains again and again.
A cheap and handy alternative
The Belgian Leo Baekeland was the first scientist to develop polymers
that could be used as a handy industrial material.

Until then only artificial materials like celluloid made up of natural
building blocks existed.

Bakelite proved to be a cheap and reliable alternative for materials
like bone, porcelain or ivory.

The development of Bakelite opened the way for the large scale
industrial production of household items.

Today Bakelite is not used as much as before. Often there are cheaper
alternatives, but for some items Bakelite remains the choice material.

Leo Baekeland was born in Ghent (East Flanders) as the son of a
cobbler. It was only thanks to a grant that he was able study
chemistry.

After marrying his professor's daughter he travelled to the United
States.

Thanks to the money he made as a result of his invention of a new type
of photographic paper, Velox, he was able to continue his research
into hard resins.

He sold the Velox patent to Kodak for 750,000 dollars, an enormous sum
at this time.

This research later allowed him to apply for the Bakelite patent.

The exhibition in Ghent shows the benefits of the new material. Safe
plugs and switches that do not conduct electric current can be made.

Motor parts are no longer damaged by acids and oils.

Pan handles no longer convey heat and more on a downside perhaps
landmines can no longer be detected by metal detectors.

Where? When?
The exhibition in Ghent can be seen until 13 April from 10 to 5 PM.

It is not open on university holidays (!).

Most interesting indeed and probably little-known or celebrated ! -
thank you for posting that.

On 29 Mar 2007 09:26:57 -0700, "ocelot"
wrote:

http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...Bof%2BBakelite

100 years of Bakelite

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented
exactly a century ago. To mark this event and honour the plastic's
Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland Ghent University is staging a special
exhibition.
It was in 1907 and in the United States that the Ghent expatriate Leo
Baekeland applied for a patent on the production of a new substance.
Within years the new material was to become known as Bakelite.

To mark the centenary Ghent University is staging an exhibition to
honour the first plastic and its inventor in the University Aula
located at Voldersstraat 9.

Bakelite wasn't the first plastic, although it was the first
completely synthetic plastic; the first plastic was Parkesine in
the 1860s.

At the beginning of the last century Bakelite was used to manufacture
many new items like electric plugs and telephones.

Manmade fibres are polymers that consist of very long molecules in
which the same building blocks occur in long chains again and again.
A cheap and handy alternative
The Belgian Leo Baekeland was the first scientist to develop polymers
that could be used as a handy industrial material.

Um. That's a bit misleading. Although many polymers have been
used to make fibers, bakelite wasn't one of them.

Until then only artificial materials like celluloid made up of natural
building blocks existed.

Yes. So celluloid is an earlier plastic.

http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_p...=1102&DID=4665

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On 29 Mar, 18:23, Hatunen wrote:
On 29 Mar 2007 09:26:57 -0700, "ocelot"





wrote:
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...2BToday/what%2...

100 years of Bakelite

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented
exactly a century ago. To mark this event and honour the plastic's
Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland Ghent University is staging a special
exhibition.
It was in 1907 and in the United States that the Ghent expatriate Leo
Baekeland applied for a patent on the production of a new substance.
Within years the new material was to become known as Bakelite.

To mark the centenary Ghent University is staging an exhibition to
honour the first plastic and its inventor in the University Aula
located at Voldersstraat 9.

Bakelite wasn't the first plastic, although it was the first
completely synthetic plastic; the first plastic was Parkesine in
the 1860s.

At the beginning of the last century Bakelite was used to manufacture
many new items like electric plugs and telephones.

Manmade fibres are polymers that consist of very long molecules in
which the same building blocks occur in long chains again and again.
A cheap and handy alternative
The Belgian Leo Baekeland was the first scientist to develop polymers
that could be used as a handy industrial material.

Um. That's a bit misleading. Although many polymers have been
used to make fibers, bakelite wasn't one of them.

Until then only artificial materials like celluloid made up of natural
building blocks existed.

Yes. So celluloid is an earlier plastic.

http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_p...=1102&DID=4665

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, perhaps so, but in terms of technological innovation or
application, not at all substantial......

On 29 Mar 2007 11:09:21 -0700, "David" wrote:

On 29 Mar, 18:23, Hatunen wrote:
On 29 Mar 2007 09:26:57 -0700, "ocelot"





wrote:
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...2BToday/what%2...

100 years of Bakelite

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented
exactly a century ago. To mark this event and honour the plastic's
Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland Ghent University is staging a special
exhibition.
It was in 1907 and in the United States that the Ghent expatriate Leo
Baekeland applied for a patent on the production of a new substance.
Within years the new material was to become known as Bakelite.

To mark the centenary Ghent University is staging an exhibition to
honour the first plastic and its inventor in the University Aula
located at Voldersstraat 9.

Bakelite wasn't the first plastic, although it was the first
completely synthetic plastic; the first plastic was Parkesine in
the 1860s.

At the beginning of the last century Bakelite was used to manufacture
many new items like electric plugs and telephones.

Manmade fibres are polymers that consist of very long molecules in
which the same building blocks occur in long chains again and again.
A cheap and handy alternative
The Belgian Leo Baekeland was the first scientist to develop polymers
that could be used as a handy industrial material.

Um. That's a bit misleading. Although many polymers have been
used to make fibers, bakelite wasn't one of them.

Until then only artificial materials like celluloid made up of natural
building blocks existed.

Yes. So celluloid is an earlier plastic.

http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_p...=1102&DID=4665

Yes, perhaps so, but in terms of technological innovation or
application, not at all substantial......

In terms of their time they were quite substantially innovatively
technological. Celluloid, in particular, was widely used in a
number of consumer applications.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

"ocelot" writes:

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented

Fibre???

MJ

"ocelot" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...Bof%2BBakelite

100 years of Bakelite

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented
exactly a century ago. To mark this event and honour the plastic's
Belgian inventor Leo Baekeland Ghent University is staging a special
exhibition.
It was in 1907 and in the United States that the Ghent expatriate Leo
Baekeland applied for a patent on the production of a new substance.
Within years the new material was to become known as Bakelite.

To mark the centenary Ghent University is staging an exhibition to
honour the first plastic and its inventor in the University Aula
located at Voldersstraat 9.

At the beginning of the last century Bakelite was used to manufacture
many new items like electric plugs and telephones.

Manmade fibres are polymers that consist of very long molecules in
which the same building blocks occur in long chains again and again.
A cheap and handy alternative
The Belgian Leo Baekeland was the first scientist to develop polymers
that could be used as a handy industrial material.

Until then only artificial materials like celluloid made up of natural
building blocks existed.

Bakelite proved to be a cheap and reliable alternative for materials
like bone, porcelain or ivory.

The development of Bakelite opened the way for the large scale
industrial production of household items.

Today Bakelite is not used as much as before. Often there are cheaper
alternatives, but for some items Bakelite remains the choice material.

Leo Baekeland was born in Ghent (East Flanders) as the son of a
cobbler. It was only thanks to a grant that he was able study
chemistry.

After marrying his professor's daughter he travelled to the United
States.

Thanks to the money he made as a result of his invention of a new type
of photographic paper, Velox, he was able to continue his research
into hard resins.

He sold the Velox patent to Kodak for 750,000 dollars, an enormous sum
at this time.

This research later allowed him to apply for the Bakelite patent.

The exhibition in Ghent shows the benefits of the new material. Safe
plugs and switches that do not conduct electric current can be made.

Motor parts are no longer damaged by acids and oils.

Pan handles no longer convey heat and more on a downside perhaps
landmines can no longer be detected by metal detectors.

Where? When?
The exhibition in Ghent can be seen until 13 April from 10 to 5 PM.

It is not open on university holidays (!).

please do not feed the troll
Dziekuje

"Michal Jankowski" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
"ocelot" writes:

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented

Fibre???

MJ

"Michal Jankowski" wrote in message
...
"ocelot" writes:

Thu 29/03/07 - Bakelite, the world's first manmade fibre, was invented

Fibre???

From the later description, that probably should read long string polymer,
but I don't know the chemistry of Bakelite and cannot confirm that.

Colin Bignell