Pattern for
A n d this is the c h r o n o l o g i c a l list of s o m e Bakélite product d e v e l o p ments:
PROGRESS
I n rv years ago, a man with an idea set the foundation for much of the great development in the plastics industry. Solving a tantalizing puzzle, he perfected a workable scientific scheme. The man—Leo H. Baekeland ; the product—Bakélite phenolic resinoid. What has this to do with I&EC? O n February 8, 1909, l&EC's editors received Baekeland's original manuscript on his research work and process. The article was published in the March 1909 issue. The pattern begins; this was the first of many technical articles, originally appearing in l&EC's pages, which presaged the great commercial chemical developments of later years. The 1909 volume was our first—1959 will mark I & EC's golden anniversary. Each month from now until late 1958, we will show how I & E C articles published in one year set industry patterns in succeeding years. Concluding his I & E C article, Dr. Baekeland said that he wrote it to "stimulate further interest in this subject among my fellow chemists and . . . lead them to succeed in per-
fecting my inethods or increase still further the number of useful applications of this interesting compound." That success beyond any of his dreams was achieved is everyday knowledge. Today, industry produces 3.5 billion pounds of plastics annually, of which 450,000,000 pounds are products related to Baekeland's original process.
1905 -09 Baekeland's studies of p h e n o l a l d e h y d e reaction leads to d e v e l o p ment of Bakélite phenolic resinoid in Yonkers, N. V., laboratory (chemically — o x y b e n z y l m e t h y l e n e glycol a n h y dride). 1909 I &EC article published. 1910 Baekeland forms General Bakélite Co. at Perth A m b o y , N. J. Aylsworth's work for Edison on the use of phenolics for p h o n o g r a p h records leads to formation of Condensite Corp. of America. 1914 Redmanol Chemical Products Co. formed to d e v e l o p phenolic materials in furniture varnishes. 1922 Consolidation of General Bakélite, Redmanol, a n d Condensite forms Bakélite Corp. 1939 Bakélite Corp. becomes a division of U n i o n Carbide and Carbon Corp.
1909 Ignition system distributor heads 1910 M o l d e d and laminated electrical parts, p h o n o g r a p h records 1911 Third rail insulator for s u b w a y a n d elevated trains 1912 Brass, furniture, a n d hardware lacquers 1913 Bakélite phenolics for packaging and package closures ( d e v e l o p e d in 1920 into toilet goods t u b e caps) 1914 Earpiece for upright t e l e p h o n e , molded instrument bases 1915 Automotive electrical system insulation 1916 H e a d p h o n e s , rheostats, condensers, insulating parts, knobs, and other radio e q u i p m e n t parts 1918 Distributors a n d molded insulation for aircraft e n g i n e s 1919 Other aviation parts, communicators, switches 1920 Airplane propellers 1921 Bakélite phenolic resins commercially supplied for such uses as b o n d i n g abrasives 1922 Phenolic resin enamels for interiors of automotive manifolds and crankcases 1923 B o n d i n g resins for b r u s h bristles and breaker strips for refrigerators 1924 M o l d e d into Weston voltmeter case ( b e g i n n i n g of plastic cases) 1926 Two-color contact buttons 1927 Laminated plastic ball-bearing retainer rings 1928 Counter plates and table tops, first completely oil-soluble phenolic resin for varnishes 1930 N e w thermoplastic materials— vinyl chloride acetate resin 1934 M o l d e d dentures 1937 Styrene molding plastics 1943 Commercial p o l y e t h y l e n e m a n u facture
men, when Mexican producers began selling their product below quoted prices in exchange for long term sales contracts, as a way of breaking into the market. Those in the know say these temporary price reductions are likely to stay in effect until sales are readjusted among the various producers. Other American companies have joined the price scuffle (few will admit it is a war), and this will mean lower profits for some. Seymour Schwartz, president of S. Schwartz & Associates (New York sulfur consultants), was recently quoted as saying: "Sulfur production in Mexico has been growing like a house afire, although 1954 out-
put was only 86,000 tons compared with about 6,000,000 tons in the United States." Last year Mexican production skyrocketed to 516,000 tons and is expected to reach 995,000 tons by the end of this year, he indicated. U. S. sulfur imports from Mexico in 1956 will undoubtedly show a further increase over 1955 tonnage and will represent the first sizable imports of elemental sulfur in more than 35 years, indicated the Department of Commerce in a recent report of the sulfur situation. On the subject of imports, Schwartz says: "Last year we imported about 31,000 tons, but this year we will probably reach a level of 150,000 tons. The
last time sulfur imports into the United States exceeded 31,000 tons was in 1906 when Herman Frasch put an end to control of the sulfur industry by Sicilian producers." Meanwhile, American exports are declining and may drop below 1,200,000 tons this year, compared with 1,600,000 in 1955 and 1,650,000 tons in 1954. At the rate which Mexican producers are boosting exports they may exceed the Americans by early 1960, although it does not seem likely that American exports will drop below a stable level of about 1,000,000 tons. New sulfur production in the United States, too, is climbing upward, which means that stockpiles will probably
l&EC's first v o l u m e contained the research report that helped the plastics industry to greatness
This is B a e k e l a n d ' s success:
timetable
of
VOL. 48, NO. 8
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AUGUST 1956
17 A
