Bakelite
First synthetic plastic, created by Belgian-born US chemist Leo Baekeland in 1909. Bakelite is hard, tough, and heatproof, and is used as an electrical insulator. It is made by the reaction of phenol with methanal (formaldehyde), producing a powdery resin that sets solid when heated. Objects are made by subjecting the resin to compression moulding (simultaneous heat and pressure in a mould).
It is one of the thermosetting plastics, which do not remelt when heated, and is often used for electrical fittings.
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