{
  "patent_number": "US 942699",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Leo Baekeland Invented Bakelite, the First Synthetic Plastic",
  "original_title": "Method of making insoluble products of phenol and formaldehyde.",
  "summary": "A 1909 patent for creating a durable, heat-resistant material by reacting phenol and formaldehyde, marking the birth of the modern plastics industry.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent describes a chemical process to create a hard, insoluble, and infusible substance by combining phenol and formaldehyde under specific heat and pressure conditions. By controlling the reaction, Baekeland created a resin that could be molded into complex shapes while hot and then hardened into a permanent, non-conductive solid. This material, famously known as Bakelite, was the first fully synthetic plastic that did not rely on natural resins or cellulose.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover naturally occurring resins like shellac or amber.",
    "Does not cover thermoplastic materials that melt when reheated.",
    "Does not cover the production of other modern plastics like polyethylene or PVC."
  ],
  "filed": null,
  "granted": "1909-12-07",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Individual",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/individual",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Leo H Baekeland",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/leo-h-baekeland"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 4,
  "tags": [
    "materials",
    "mechanical",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": null,
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/942699/bakelite-synthetic-plastic",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/942699/bakelite-synthetic-plastic/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US942699",
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}