From Wikipedia I learned that this is a type of early plastic. Could it have any use for plastic casting for modelers? Or does it require high heat or pressure, etc. that can only be generated by expensive equipment? It sounds interesting because urea and formaldehyde should be available for quite cheap from chemistry supply sources.
Seb
Urea-formaldehyde resins are used as binding agents in the production of plywood and similar wood laminates, or for the production of foam panels. AFAIR, it's a thermo-hardening resin. Not practical for home use; besides, formaldehyde is not really something you want to hang around for long.
Bakelite is not a thermoplastic (if I recall correctly), it's a thermoset so it hardens when heated. Totally different amimal than the stuff we're used to.
I used to work in a chemical plant that made both formaldehyde and urea formaldehyde glue. The urea and formaldehyde was mixed in a large S/Steel vessel and nitric acid added to partially polymerise (sp) the mixture. Reaction was stopped with caustic soda and the resultant brew thickened by dehydration ( heat and vacuum ). To use as a glue, hardener ( more nitric ) was added. Forget the caustic part and you should have something that would set in a mould. A word of caution - absolutely bugger all acid required to start the setting process.
Regards
Bassa..
[snip]
Bakelite is phenol + formaldehyde, I think. Unless Bakelite refers to all formaldehyde plastics.
Seb
IIRC, that's what Lionel used on their post-war 'plastic' car bodies.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
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