From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Description of the chemical process for creating Bakelite, its properties, and different modifications.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\2\ Scan101 | |
| Date | 25th January 1921 guessed | |
| - 14 - C6 H5 OH) on mthyl or formaldehyde (.C O H). The behaviour of these hydro-carbons has already been studied and partly crystalline and also resinous products had been formed, but no particular use could be found for these substances. It is to the credit of Bakeland that he shewed considerable tenacity in his experiments and after many years work overcame exceptional difficulties and reached a practical success. It was a considerable step to adapt his laboratory methods to factory methods. It is important to note that the process of condensation of the phenols and the aldehydes takes place with the aid of catalysis in three different steps and that it is possible to transform the materials that are formed at first into other materials of different natures. Bakelite A is soluble in phenol, alcohol, acetone and other solutions, both in its liquid and solid state. It is of importance that in the solid state the material can be melted. If solid or liquid Bakelite A is warmed for a lengthy period the second modification Bakelite B is formed which is normally solid and plastic when warm, but can no longer be melted and has lost the property of being soluble in the above mentioned liquids. If the warming is further applied the third step is reached and a hard material of yellow amber color, Bakelite C having a specific weight of 1.3 is formed. The material is mechanically strong and a good insulator. During the polymerisation of the first steps which have a complete resemblance to resis, through the second and third steps considerable heat is developed and vapours are produced and a porous mass full of bubbles is formed. Bakeland removed this serious evil by effecting the chemical change in an autoclave, so that the reaction took place under increased pressure. It is possible to use, instead of the original raw materials, such materials that separate off formaldehyde and also the homologues of phenol for example meto and para cresol. Catalysis may be induced by a great variety of compounds such as acids, bases, salts, organic solutions etc. As a result a large number of processes have been evolved which have the object of transforming phenol resins into horn-like insulating materials. Bakeland continued his work until he was able to isolate every modification with certainty, and he has succeeded in transforming thecrystalline compounds of Adolf Baeyer and Kleeberg, already mentioned above and resinous materials into artificial horn. Bakelite C is formed in a compression chamber or Bakeliser has the advantage of being very little affected by heat and of undergoing decomposition only at temperatures of about 300°. It does not even then burn, but carbonises slowly. The Bakeland process is carried out by the Bakelite Co, in Erkner, near Berlin. contd. | ||