The history of bioplastics

By lovlilady1

  • The First Man-made Plastic (was a bioplastic)

    The First Man-made Plastic (was a bioplastic)
    In 1862, at the Great International Exhibition in London, a man by the name of Alexander Parkes (1813-1890), a chemist and inventor, displayed an incredible mouldable material. This material was made of cellulose nitrate and wascalles Parkesine. Parkesine was greeted with great public interest, so Parkes began the Parkesine Company at Hackney Wick, in London. The company was not well commercialized and costs were high. The company was forced to liquidate in 1868.
  • Period: to

    BIOPLASTICS

  • The Reinvention of the bioplastic?

    The Reinvention of the bioplastic?
    After the fall of the Parkesine Company, a new name in bioplastics surfaced. In 1869, John Wesley Hyatt, in an effort to find a new material for billiard balls other than ivory invented a machine for the production of this more solid, stable bioplastic. He was able to patent the material as Celluloid.

  • If this event hadnt have happened?

    The discovery of petrolium plastics. The beginning of a long road that is coming to a dead end.

  • Ford Goes Bioplastic

    Ford Goes Bioplastic
    In the 1920's, Henry Ford, in an attempt to find other non-food purposes for Agricultural surpluses. Ford began making bioplastics for the manufacturing of automobiles. The bioplastics were used for steering wheels, interior trim and dashboards. Ford has been using them ever since.

  • The Discovery of Polyethylene

    In 1933, two chemists, E.W. Fawcett and R.O. Gibson discovered poyethylene on accident. While experimenting with ethylene and benzaldehyde, the machine that they were using sprang a leak and all that was left was polyethylene. They were credited with the discovery of the polymerization process.

  • The First Bioplastic Car

    The First Bioplastic Car
    Henry Ford unveiled the first plastic car in 1941. This car had a bioplastic body and parts consisting of 14 different bioplastics. There was a lot of interest, but soon after, WWII started and naturally attentions were diverted.

  • EXTRA! EXTRA! Plastic... biodegradable?

    A British Company, Imperial Chemical Industries, developed a bioplastic, Biopol, that is biodegradable. This was the beginning of the bioplastic revolution.