Bakelite
The trademark Bakelite and its
associated logotype were first coined in the
early years of the 20th century to describe the
products of the phenol formaldehyde reaction
developed in America by Leo H Baekeland.
His patent specifications covering the chemical
reaction and its uses are regarded by many as the
birth certificate of the modern plastics industry.
The mathematical infinity symbol underneath a
capital B was intended to indicate the myriad
uses of his phenolic materials. This was replaced
with the three-lobed version circa 1926, which
was inspired by the amalgamation of Baekeland's
General Bakelite Co. with the Condensite Co. and
Redmanol Chemical Products Co. to form the
Bakelite Corporation. The logo was 'modernised' in 1956
and survived in this form until the Company's
demise.
In spite of determined efforts by Baekeland and
his lawyers over many years to protect the
trademark it became so abused and widespread in
use as to become generic and appear, for example,
with a small 'b' in leading dictionaries
throughout the world.
Baekeland had originally registered both his
patents and the trademarks in a number of
countries throughout the world. When, in 1939, he
finally sold his company to the giant Union Carbide Corporation of
America, the name was soon used in connection
with a number of their other plastics products
such as polyethylene, PVC, urea formaldehyde,
polyester and epoxide resins.
A word of caution is necessary in connection with
the use of the word Bakelite. It was used as a 'shorthand'
for the names of companies such as Bakelite
Limited and Union Carbide's Bakelite Corporation.
More importantly for collectors of plastics
artefacts, the name is used indescriminately by
many ill-informed dealers to describe almost any
product made from thermosetting plastics
materials and caution is advised when buying.
It is understood that, under new European law,
the name has been resurrected from its generic
status to become the registered trademark of
Bakelite AG of Germany.
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