The Gem of Modern Industry

 

Catalin is a brand name for a thermosetting polymer developed and trademarked in 1927 by the American Catalin Corporation of New York City after the company acquired the patents for Bakelite. "The Gem of Modern Industry" according to period advertising, Catalin took things a step beyond Bakelite, making appealing plastics by adding color to a liquid resin that was cast in lead forms and allowed to slowly cool then polished to a fine sheen. This fact made Catalin more popular than other types of Bakelite for consumer products. Whereas Bakelite was used for items like insulators for electrical systems, black rotary dial telephones or handles on Deco-era toasters, Catalin was used for manufacturing colorful jewelry, clocks and radios that were labor-intensive processes cured with heat, then polished by hand into Art Deco designs. Like Bakelite, Catalin gives off a distinctive chemical odor when heated. Due to oxidation, older Catalin items darken in color and white discolors to yellow. This caused interesting effects in radio cabinets. Catalin items are widely collected today.

Note: The grips on actor John Wayne's iconic six-shooter, seen in every western from 1966 to 1969, were made of Catalin, not ivory, as often thought.

Plastic Headquarters

Bakelite (pronounced bake-a-lite) is another name for phenolic resin, developed by the Belgian-American chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, NY, in 1907. It was the first plastic made from synthetic components, making it revolutionary for its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings and such diverse products as pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms, as well as a popular alternative to everyone's silver kitchenware. It was also seen as an inexpensive alternative to high-end jewelry materials. Some bracelets can be quite beautiful due to the penetration of light and Bakelite's transparency. The resin can be molded quickly, is smooth, retains its shape, and is resistant to heat, scratches, and destructive solvents. It is not flexible, however.

Bakelite Corporation faced serious competition from other companies after its patent expired in 1927. The term Bakelite is sometimes used in the resale market to indicate various types of early plastics, including Catalin, Plaskon, Beetle, or Faturan, which may also be brightly colored material. Since its glory days through the 1940s, Bakelite jewelry and radios have become popular collectible items. New reproductions can resemble Bakelite, however.