Bakelite

Bakelite was a chemical miracle of the 20^th century. Dubbed the Material of a Thousand Uses by the Bakelite Corporation, it was a versatile, nonflammable molding compound that changed the role of plastic from substitute material to symbol of modern culture.

Bakelite was developed in the backyard laboratory of Leo Baekeland of Yonkers, NY between 1907 and 1909. Baekeland was attempting to create synthetic varnish when he discovered that carbolic acid (phenol) and formaldehyde, when combined under certain conditions, resulted in a molasses-colored resin with unique and exceptional properties. 

Once cured, the phenol-formaldehyde resin could be ground into powder and mixed with a variety of fillers to create a molding compound that was practically indestructible. Slate dust, asbestos, wood flour and ground walnut shells were all used for this purpose, but because of their dark color, molded Bakelite was limited to shades of black, maroon and brown.

Baekeland started the General Bakelite Company in 1911 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Up to 200,000 tons of the plastic material was produced annually. Bakelite was easily adapted to the growing needs of the electrical industry as it was resistant to heat, moisture and chemicals.   Furthermore, it had excellent insulating properties, making it ideal for use in electrical components like switches, insulators, plugs and sockets.

In 1927, Bakelite’s patent on phenol formaldehyde expired. That same year the American Catalin Corporation was founded. It pioneered a purified form of phenolic resin that did away with the dense fillers used in molded Bakelite. This development pushed the door of opportunity wide open for Catalin.  The company introduced casting resins in 20 different color.

Not to be outdone by a newcomer, Bakelite Corporation quickly developed cast phenolic resin and began to advertise it in thousands of colors. In reality their recipes were exactly the same as American Catalin, except they experimented more with dye saturation and mixing colorants with clear resin to create mottled and swirled effects.

By the middle of the 1930s several competitors began manufacturing phenolics, thus forcing the the price of Bakelite and Catalin down.   Durez and American Phenolic began making thermoset molding compounds, while Fiberloid and the Albany Billiard Ball Company — both former celluloid manufacturers — developed their own brands of phenolic casting resin.

Fiberloid introduced Opalon in lapis lazuli, mottled red, alabaster, onyx and mottled walnut. Marblette Corporation of Long Island City, New York, and Knoedler of Lancaster, Pennsylvania also made colorful cast phenolic resins that were fabricated into a myriad of small components for jewelry, game pieces, umbrella and cutlery handles. 

Applications

Household Appliances and Kitchen Wares: The introduction of electrical power in the home gave rise to a myriad of laborsaving devices that utilized Bakelite and Catalin in one way or another. The modern appearance, durability and hygienic qualities of plastic made it superior to traditional substances.

Bakelite quickly replaced wood and metal in telephones, clock and barometer cases, as well as knobs and handles on small appliances like electric irons, toasters and cookware. Colorful Catalin cutlery handles and novelty napkin rings dressed up the table and brightened the kitchen.

Radios: In 1933 Bakelite Corporation began to make wood tone radio cabinets of compression-molded phenolics. Thermosetting plastics were suited to radio cabinets because they resisted heat generated by radio tubes.  It wasn’t long before colorful, modernistic Catalin radios began to make their appearance. Today collectors seek these over the dark, compression molded examples from the early days of production.

American Catalin built all the cabinets for Fada, Garod, GE L570 and RCA — with the exception of the Little Nipper that was manufactured by Bakelite Corporation. In 1937 Emerson introduced the AU-190 cathedral cabinet, which was made of Opalon by Fiberloid. In 1938 Emerson hired the Marblette Corporation to make the rest of their cast phenolic radio cabinets.

Jewelry: By 1936, two thirds of all costume jewelry made in the United States was fabricated from cast phenolic resin. Collectors today may wonder why this jewelry commands such high prices. The answer lies in the fabricating process, which was labor-intensive and lengthy.   

First, molds had to be made by dipping a steel master into molten lead. Once enough molds were assembled, the phenolic resin was prepared and carefully poured into each mold cavity by hand. If special swirled or mottled colors were desired, the technician needed to carefully combine resins as they were being cast.

Once filled, the molds were wheeled into a huge oven to be baked at 176 degree Fahrenheit until the resin cured.  Curing time was dependant upon color: dark red and blue cured in three to four days while whites ( now butterscotch ) took six to eight days. Once the cast resin was cured, it was removed from the lead molds using air hammers.  Since this always resulted in damaged molds, the broken pieces were tossed back into the vat of molten lead and melted down for reuse.

To make jewelry components, shaped or hollow phenolic rods were cut into individual pieces ( much like a loaf of bread is sliced ) and then carved and machined by hand for added adornment.  (Phenolic resin had the great advantage of being able to withstand heat and friction generated by milling machines, lathes and sanding belts.) Once the decorative carving was complete, pieces were finished by tumbling or were buffed on a polishing wheel.

Design: As the trend for modernism evolved, the distinctive Art Deco style of the late 1920s was overtaken by Streamline Modern design. Sharp stepped sides of skyscrapers softened into curves, while boxy trains and automobiles were replaced with sleek, fluid lines that created the illusion of speed and motion.

Phenolic plastic became a symbol of progress and modernity by offering new opportunity for designers in products and packaging.  By the late 1930s, Streamline design trends were reflected in a myriad of plastic moldings for personal use.  Shiny surfaces, modernistic curves, waterfall fronts and facades that were made to look like car grills all found their way into jewelry, small home appliances and decorative household objects.

The Streamline Modern style was perfectly suited to cast phenolic resins because the plastic easily flowed inside a curved mold. Furthermore, molded articles were easier to fabricate and polish than the boxy, stepped sides and sharp corners of Art Deco design. The heyday of this trend began in the late 1930s and lasted until World War II.

Bakelite and Catalin Facts:

*Bakelite articles made by compression molding are much thinner than those made from cast phenolic resins because the fillers used in the molding compound made the plastic much stronger.

*Cast phenolic resins were not as durable as compression molded phenolic compounds because they shrank over time, often resulting in cracks. Catalin averaged a 4 percent shrinkage in the first 10 years.  Cracks developed in radio cases because the parts were bolted to the housing, leading to stress as the plastic shrank.

*Colorful cast phenolic articles have more collector appeal and are more expensive than dark compression-molded Bakelite articles.  Cast phenolics were more expensive to produce because of the time involved in molding and fabricating. Today a dark Bakelite radio may sell for only $30 while a brightly colored Catalin radio can bring up to 50 times as much.

*The first American radio broadcast was in 1920.  The spread of public service broadcasting brought with it a great increase in demand for radios. Between 1920 and 1927 radio sales skyrocketed from $2 million a year to $136 million — and the number of radio stations grew from three to over 800 during the same period.

*Catalin was produced in 20 opaque and translucent colors. Engineers limited the color range because they felt all other dye stuffs would cause instability in the plastic.

*Phenolic resin reacts to ultraviolet light by converting to phenyl alcohol, which is brownish in color. That is why so many Catalin items are amber colored. The effect turned original white to butterscotch, bright blue into drab olive, green into butterscotch and brilliant red marble into brown.

*Color changes in cast phenolic articles are only surface deep. With careful attention, the original color may be restored by rubbing with a wet 250-400 grit sanding paper, followed by buffing with a rouge compound and polishing with wax.    

Illustrations


Bakelite Electrical Fixture in Original Box

The rapidly growing electrical industry was the first to take an interest in Bakelite because of its excellent insulating properties. By the 1920s two out of three homes was equipped with electricity,  making switches, sockets and plugs the most widely used application for Bakelite plastic.

Telephone

In 1927 Bell Telephone Company began to produce phones with a cradle handset in black Bakelite. This revolutionized the telecommunications industry by combining the receiver and speaker into one unit. By the middle of the 1930s the cradle handset combo did away with the candlestick telephone. Joe Kabrin collection.

figural bird napkin rings and cutlery

Colorful cast resin cutlery handles were made in a variety of mottled, swirled, translucent and opaque colors. The American Catalin Corporation pioneered the multi-layer casting technique, which is often seen in the form of cutlery handles. Courtesy of Barb Smith Collection.

A pair of green mottled bird napkin rings.  Other colorful examples have been found to resemble fish, rabbits, elephants, penguins and Scotty dogs.  Napkin rings that have moving parts, like wheels, command premium prices.

Butterscotch cutlery handle - sanded white

This illustration shows the original creamy white color of a butterscotch handled utensil. By lightly sanding with wet 600 grit paper, the discolored surface layer is quickly removed. Color distortion is due to the chemical effect of phenol alcohol, an effect created by exposure to ultraviolet light.

Red and Black Motorola Radio

This 1940 red and black Motorola, model 50XC was the last Catalin radio the company produced. Because of the Art Deco dial face and the stylized grill, coupled with the striking contrast of color, it is one of the most highly sought among collectors. Helen Golubic collection. 

Green Catalin radio

This Emerson AU-190 radio case is now drab green but was probably once a vibrant blue. Ultraviolet light causes phenol to convert to alcohol, resulting in the color change. It was manufactured by the Fiberloid Corporation of Springfield, Massachusetts in Opalon cast phenolic resin in 1937. Emerson later hired the Marblette Corporation of Long Island, NY. To make all their other radio cabinets. Note the crack on the top of the case, most likely the result of shrinkage and stress associated with bolting the radio unit inside the housing.  Helen Golubic Collection.

Fada Radio in Orange

The Catalin Corporation made all the radio cases for Fada. This bright orange radio is a good example of the stylized Streamline Modern design which became so popular during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Helen Golubic collection.

View Master w/ original box

The patent numbers molded into the Bakelite housing of this Sawyer’s Viewmaster dates it to 1940. Invented in the late 1930s by William Gruber and Harold Graves of Portland, Oregon. Graves was the president of Sawyer’s — the nations largest producer of scenic postcards during the 1920s. The plastic view master replaced stereoscopes made of wood, glass and metal.

Brown and gold tone Barometer

The patent number on the back of this Taylor Instruments Company Barometer date it to 1927. It is a fine example of molded Bakelite in the Art Deco design style.  It was found at a yard sale in rural Pennsylvania for $2 and still works well.

Camera, Developing tray and film tank

Leo Baekeland contributed to photography in many ways, but perhaps the most important was his development of Velox photographic paper in 1893. He later sold his invention to Eastman Kodak Company and with the money was able to develop Bakelite. This illustration shows a camera, film development canister with original box and developing solution tray all made from Bakelite. 

Pipes and Ash Tray

The heat resistant qualities of Bakelite are evident in the many smoker’s accessories that were molded from it. Cigarette holders and pipe stems were most often made in translucent shades of cherry and yellow amber. The middle example features a walnut burl bowl and has a two piece cherry amber stem branded with the Bakelite trade name. The other two pipes are made completely from Bakelite in shades of maroon, black and translucent cherry amber.

Jewelry: Pins, Translucent clips, Bracelets, Beads

*The translucent Catalin dress clips in green and amber are reverse carved. The red translucent heart pendant has an imbedded metal Mary. Name jewelry was a fad during the early 1940s.

*A grouping of carved brooches or pins that feature flower and bow motifs — a popular style during the late 1930s.  All jewelry courtesy of Helen Golubic collection.

*Carved and colorful, these bangle bracelets were cast into hollow tubes and then sliced into individual pieces. The blanks were then machined by hand with lathes, drills and sanding wheels. The final products were polished either by tumbling or buffing.