From Parkesine to Celluloid: The Birth of Organic Plastics

Abstract

Abstract The birth of modern organic plastics can be traced back to the mid‐1800s with various semi‐synthetic plastics derived from cellulose nitrate. Examples of such materials include Parkesine introduced by Alexander Parkes in 1860 and celluloid introduced by John Wesley Hyatt in 1870. The history and development of these early materials is presented, while also attempting to clarify the differences between the related materials collodion, Parkesine, and celluloid.

Topics & Concepts