Plastic could easily be ruled as one of the most controversial inventions of humankind. While Leo Baekeland, the chemist who created the first synthetic plastic Bakelite in 1907, has etched his ...

A 1930 Bakelite Ashtray. Bakelite was developed in 1907-1909 by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland. One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrically ...

1907: In Belgium, an inventive chemist named Leo Baekeland combines the fossil-fuel derivatives phenol and formaldehyde to produce a hard, mouldable substance that will change the course of ...