BAKELAND Leo Hendrik (Baekeland Leo Hendrik)( The American chemist and inventor.)
Comments for BAKELAND Leo Hendrik (Baekeland Leo Hendrik)
Biography BAKELAND Leo Hendrik (Baekeland Leo Hendrik)
(1863-1944) November 14, 1863 in Ghent (Belgium). After graduating from the University of Ghent in 1884 for several years worked as a laboratory, a teacher of chemistry. In 1889 he moved to the United States, worked at the company for the production of photographic materials. In 1893 founded his own company to produce his invention of photographic paper 'Velox', which could be in the red light. In 1899 he sold the company and rights to manufacture their photo paper company 'Eastman Kodak'. Held one semester at the Higher Technical School in Charlottenburg (Germany), and on returning to the U.S. started looking for a substitute for shellac - wax-like substance secreted by some tropical insects. After the reaction of condensation of formaldehyde and phenol, the polymer obtained, for which he could not find a solvent. This led him to believe that this is practically insoluble and, as it turned out, no electricity conductive polymer can be very valuable. 1909 Bakeland reported he had received the material, which he named Bakelite. This formaldehyde resin was the first synthetic thermosetting - plastic, not softened at high temperature. For a variety of properties of bakelite material remains unsurpassed. Job Bakelanda stimulate research in the field of organic synthesis and the creation of new plastics. For his invention he was awarded medals Dzh.Skotta (1910), W. Gibbs (1913), S. Chandler (1914), William Perkin (1916). He was president of chemical and electrochemical societies, the Institute of Chemical Engineers and chemists Club. Died in Bakeland Beacon (pc. New York) February 23, 1944.
|