1862
At the Great International Exhibition in London, the world saw the first example of man-made plastic in the form of medallions, combs and knife handles made of Parkesine. The material, invented by Alexander Parkes, was originally conceived as a substitute for ivory.
Late 1800s
In Albany, N.Y., John Wesley Hyatt discovered a way to manufacture an improved version of Parkesine called celluloid. Also used as an alternative to ivory, celluloid made items that were previously luxuries more accessible to all.
1907
Dr. Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the world’s first entirely synthetic plastic. It was also the first thermoset plastic, meaning it wouldn’t soften or melt when heated. It became the material of choice for electrical devices, which came in handy during the next several decades. Today it is still used for electrical and automobile parts.
1920
German organic chemist Hermann Staudinger proved the existence of what we know today as polymers. During this time, companies such as Dow Chemical and DuPont developed polymers critical to militaries who were struggling to find alternatives to natural resources such as shellac, rubber, camphor and silk.
1933
Polyethylene (PE) was created in England and closely held as a state secret. The lightweight plastic was used to insulate radar cabling, helping to make British war planes lighter and giving them a significant advantage over the Germans.
1939
Nylon was released by DuPont for sale as synthetic silk hosiery, but was quickly rationed by the U.S. military for use in parachutes and ropes.
1940
A Popular Mechanics article published in May illustrated the high hopes the world had for plastic materials, opening with, “Clothed in plastics from head to foot, the American of tomorrow will live in a plastics house, drive a plastics auto and fly in a plastics airplane.”
1950s
After the war ended, manufacturers looked to the consumer market as an outlet for their products. Polyester was introduced commercially as a fabric that would resist wrinkling during this decade. Polypropylene (PP) and high-density PE (HDPE) were also introduced in different consumer products. Renowned furniture brand Eames began using plastics to create affordable, modern furniture, designed for the smaller living spaces many veterans called home after the war effort.
1955
Plastics contributed to cleaner drinking water with the introduction of polyimides, which were commercially produced and used in reverse osmotic purification films. The same material was also used as insulation in early spacecraft.
1965
As the space race heated up, the polysulfone family of thermoplastics was introduced and used in space suits. Kevlar was also introduced and first used in the racing industry to replace steel in tires.
1989
Patrick and Sally Gruber successfully produced biobased, biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) from corn on their kitchen stove.
Today
The Popular Mechanics article from 1940 has come to fruition, as plastics today make a positive impact in the production of clothing, homes, cars, planes and so much more.
The future
We can only imagine! It took only 150 years to go from one man and a table of knife handles to a trillion-dollar industry that has a positive impact on nearly everyone in the world.