The plastics a settlement can make first are casein from milk, which is easiest, Bakelite from phenol and formaldehyde, which is the best electrical insulator, and celluloid from nitrated cellulose, which is the one to salvage rather than make. None of them needs a petroleum refinery. Casein needs only milk, vinegar and a hardening bath, while Bakelite needs a chemistry capability that has to be built first.
Part of Plastics and Polymers
Early plastics are the first commercial plastics of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, all made from natural feedstocks such as milk protein, cellulose and coal-tar phenol.
Three Plastics Needed No Refinery
The first plastics in history were made from natural materials with fairly simple chemistry, and they are the ones within reach of a settlement. Plastics from Scratch names the same three.
| Plastic | Made from | Family | Main use | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casein (Galalith) | Milk protein, hardened with formaldehyde | Thermoset once hardened | Buttons, beads, knitting needles | Absorbs water; not an insulator |
| Celluloid | Nitrated cellulose and camphor | Thermoplastic | Combs, handles, film base, lacquer | Extremely flammable |
| Bakelite | Phenol and formaldehyde | Thermoset | Electrical insulation, handles | Needs toxic feedstocks and a heated press |
Choose By What The Part Must Survive
- Small decorative or hand-held parts, no water, no electricity: casein. See Casein: Applications and Limits.
- Anything electrical or hot: Bakelite. See Bakelite.
- Transparent, flexible, workable sheet: celluloid, but read Celluloid and Celluloid Safety first. Its flammability disqualifies it from electrical work and from anywhere near heat.
- A pliant, forgiving first material: starch and other bio-based plastics are easier still, but not waterproof.
Insulation Comes First
Without an insulating material there is no insulated wire, no switch body, no terminal block and no transformer bobbin. That makes Bakelite the early plastic with the highest payoff, and casein and celluloid the ones for small goods.
Salvage Still Beats Synthesis
Making any of the three is a chemistry project with hazards. Most of the plastic a settlement will actually use in its first years is salvaged thermoplastic, sorted and remelted. See Recycling and Reprocessing.
Common Mistakes
- Starting with celluloid because it looks simple — it needs strong acids and burns violently.
- Using casein as an insulator — it absorbs moisture and conducts when damp.
- Ignoring the feedstock hazards of Bakelite — phenol and formaldehyde are the dangerous part.
Two of the three need hazardous chemistry
Celluloid needs strong acids, and its product is flammable. Bakelite needs phenol, which burns skin and is absorbed through it, and formaldehyde, which is a respiratory irritant and carcinogen. Casein hardening also uses formaldehyde solution. Work outdoors or with strong ventilation.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Polymer Fundamentals — why thermoplastics and thermosets behave differently
- Combine with: Molding Techniques — shaping what you make