Leo Baekeland
Leo Baekeland | |
|---|---|
Baekeland in 1916 | |
| Born | Leo Hendrik Baekeland November 14, 1863 Ghent, Belgium |
| Died | February 23, 1944 (aged 80) Beacon, New York, U.S. |
| Education | University of Ghent |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, inventor |
| Known for | Plastics research, Bakelite, Novolac, Velox photographic paper |
| Spouse |
Céline Swarts (m. 1889) |
| Children | Jenny Nina Rose Baekeland George Washington Baekeland Nina Baekeland |
| Awards | John Scott Medal (1910) William H. Nichols Medal (1910) Willard Gibbs Award (1913) Perkin Medal (1916) Franklin Medal (1940) |
| Signature | |
Leo Hendrik Baekeland HonFRSE (/ˈbeɪklænd/ BAYK-land, Dutch: [ˈleːjoː ˈɦɛndrɪɡ ˈbaːkəlɑnt]; November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944) was a Belgian chemist. Educated in Belgium and Germany, he spent most of his career in the United States. He is best known for the inventions of Velox photographic paper in 1893, and Bakelite in 1907. He has been called "The Father of the Plastics Industry" for his invention of Bakelite, an inexpensive, non-flammable and versatile plastic, which marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry.