When did plastics start to hit the earth?
The first fully synthetic plastic was made by Leo Hendrik Baekeland, an American Belgian, who patented bakelite in July 14, 1907.
Baekeland was the son of the shoemaker and maid, born in Ghent, Belgium in 1863. In 1884, Baekeland, 21, received his Ph. D. from the Gent University. He became a professor of physics and chemistry at the Bruges Higher Normal College in Belgium at the age of 24. In 1889, just married the daughter of a university mentor, Baekeland was given a travel scholarship to study chemistry in the United states.
The pot of gold digging, Baekeland bought a seat overlooking the Hudson River near New York in Yonkers mansion, a private laboratory will be changed into the barn equipment, is also working with people built a pilot plant in Broolyn. At that time, the nascent electric power industry contained a huge market for insulating materials. The first temptation Baekeland smell is soaring price of natural shellac insulating materials, for centuries, this material has been relying on family handicraft production in South asia. After the inspection, Baekeland to find alternatives to shellac as the first commercial target. At that time, chemists have begun to realize that many used in coatings, adhesives and fabrics with natural resins and fibers are polymers, namely the repeat structure of macromolecules, began looking to compositions and methods of polymer synthesis.
Under the impact of the new product, Eastman Kodak, a photographer, can't stand it. In 1898, after two negotiations, Kodak bought the patent for Velox photographic paper at a price of $750 thousand (equivalent to $15 million in 2013). However, Kodak quickly discovered that the recipe was not working, and Baekeland replied, "it's normal. The inventor will skip one or two steps in the patent documents to prevent infringement.". Kodak was told that they bought patents, but not all of them. Paying $100 thousand again, Kodak knew the secret was in a solution.
Encouraged by Professor Charles Chandler of the Columbia University, Baekeland stayed in the United States and worked for a photography supplier in New York. This led him to develop Velox photographic paper several years later, which can be developed in the light, not in the sun. In 1893, Baekeland resigned and founded the Nepera chemical company.
