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FEB 19 '92 17:49 617- 247- 37280     P.10/11
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A Short History of Formica


The history of plastics began in the mid-nineteenth century with the invention of celluloid - a semi-synthetic material created by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids on cellulose (plant fiber). The early plastics were created as cheaper substitutes for exotic natural materials - such as tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory. The first truly synthetic plastic was invented in 1907 by a Belgium chemist named Leo Baekeland. Named Bakelite for its creator, this new material (phenol-formaldehyde resin) could be moulded or cast and had wide ranging commercial applications (from electrical insultation for radios to jewelry and billiard balls).

In 1913, the first plastic laminate was created by saturating paper with Bakelite resin. The inventors of this new technology intended it to be used primarily as an electrical insulation material and named it "Formica" in the hopes that it would one day replace mica - the mineral commonly used in insulation. In the early years formica laminates were utilized in the production of insulation, electrical tubes for radios and moulded machine parts. It wasn't until the 1930's that the laminated sheet was widely employed as decorative surfacing material on furniture and interiors. This change was made possible in part by technological innovations in formica production. Before 1927, all laminates were either either black or brown but in that year Formica Corporation patented a formula for creating decorative effects on sheets of laminate - opening up new possibilities and uses for the material. And in 1937, Formica laminates were made using a new moulding compound called melamine which produced durable and heat-resistant sheets.