Plastic was first invented in the mid-19th century. The earliest man-made plastic was called Parkesine, invented by Alexander Parkes and patented in 1856. Parkesine was made from cellulose treated with nitric acid and could be molded when heated. It was publicly demonstrated at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. Following this, John Wesley Hyatt invented celluloid in 1869 as a substitute for ivory. He improved on Parkesine by adding camphor, which made celluloid a durable material that could be shaped with heat and pressure. This material became used for a variety of products, including billiard balls and photographic film. The first fully synthetic plastic, meaning it contained no molecules found in nature, was Bakelite, invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. Bakelite was a phenol-formaldehyde resin and was notable for its durability, heat resistance, and mechanical mass production suitability. In summary:
- 1856: Parkesine invented by Alexander Parkes (first man-made plastic)
- 1869: Celluloid invented by John Wesley Hyatt (first synthetic polymer)
- 1907: Bakelite invented by Leo Baekeland (first fully synthetic plastic)
These represent key milestones in the invention and development of plastics.
