Bakelite

Hildegard Heine <hildegard_heine [at] hotmail__com> writes

>I am looking urgently for information about 'bakelite'. Has anybody
>experiences in identification, conservation and restoration of this
>early plastic?

One of the earliest reports on using Bakelite I know of was by Case,
"Scientific apparatus and laboratory methods: the use of Bakelite in
the preservation of fossil material", Science, may 22, 1925:543-4.
This includes some introduction to its invention by Dr. G.W.
Baekeland.  Further articles with more information on its use and
nature are in Swinton, "Bakelite and the preservation of fossils",
Museums Journal, v. 33, 1933:76-80. and a good section on Bakelites
and similar plastics in Horie, Materials for Conservation, 1987 with
information on identification.  Curt Beck's publications on amber
and fakes include spectra and tests for Bakelites--there is a whole
section in one of the early AATA's on this.

Niccolo Caldararo
Director and Chief Conservator
Conservation Art Service


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:47
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 14, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-47-014
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