A clock of Art Deco design in brown phenolic with the word 'TELEVISION' printed on its face. Produced by reacting phenol and formaldehyde, the initial uses of phenolic resins were for varnishes and laminates used as electrical insulators. The first synthetic thermosetting plastic was patented in 1909 by Leo Baekeland (1863-1944), a Belgian-born chemist who emigrated to the United States in 1889. When combined with a wood flour filler, phenol formaldehyde, known by its trade name 'Bakelite', after its inventor, forms a useful mouldable plastic, with very good electrical insulating properties. Numerous other phenolic resins with different characteristics have subsequently been developed. Made by Penwood Numechron Co, United States.

Picture Reference: 10305697
Subject: TRADE & INDUSTRY > Plastics & Rubber Industries > Synthetic Plastics, Objects
Inventory No.: 1979-0624_0270
Credit: Science Museum

Keywords: 1930s, 1900s, 20th Century, American, Art, Art Deco, Clock, Co, Deco, Digital, Digital Clocks, Electric, Electric Clocks, Exton, David, Formaldehyde, Instrument of Time, Man-made, Man Made Fibres, Measurement, Numechron, Object, Penwood Numechron Co, Penwood, Phenol, Phenol Formaldehyde, Phenolic, Phenolic Resins, Plastic, Polymer, Resin, Synthetic, Synthetic Plastics, Objects, Thermosetting, Time, Time Measurement, United States, United States Of America

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