In 1907, a chemist tried replacing shellac for cables and searched for a better wire coating, which ended up creating the world’s first synthetic plastic

A chemist named Leo Baekeland sought an alternative to shellac in 1907. His research led to Bakelite, the first synthetic ...
Time

Science: Shellac Substitute

Shellac has been a critical material ever since the war cut supplies from India, virtually its sole producer. Shellac has unique properties as a protective finish, and none of its many substitutes has ...