What was the first fully synthetic plastic, invented in 1907?

The first fully synthetic plastic, invented in 1907, was Bakelite. It was developed by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York, from phenol and formaldehyde.

Baekeland’s breakthrough was creating a hard, moldable material that did not rely on natural substances such as cellulose, shellac, or rubber. Bakelite was also a thermosetting plastic: once cured by heat and pressure, it could not simply be melted and reshaped again.

Its heat resistance, electrical insulation, and ability to be molded into complex forms made it valuable in early electrical goods. It appeared in radio and telephone casings, switches, plugs, kitchenware, jewelry, toys, and automobile components. Baekeland filed his key patent in 1907, and it was granted in 1909.

Polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon are also important synthetic polymers, but they were developed later or belong to different stages of plastics history. Bakelite’s dark brown appearance is especially associated with early consumer electronics.