Cellulose Acetate

This material belongs to the cellulosic resin family. Like Celluloid it is obtained from the chemical modification of a natural polymer: cellulose, which is one of the most diffuse organic substances in nature. Cellulose acetate was the first plastic to be injection moulded. It is a white powder and because of its attractive appearance is used for transparent, translucent and opaque objects such as typewriter keys, calculators, switches, car wheel coverings, knife-handles, shoe-heels, lamp shades, pens, umbrella handles toys and so on.

Casein formaldehyde

Casein formaldehyde is a plastic of natural protein origin made from organic substances such as milk, horn or vegetable products such as soy beans, wheat and the like. It was obtained in 1897 by Adolph Spitteler and W.Kirsche who started out with whey and formaldehyde and tested the action of an enzyme on them. The patent was registered in Baviera and then extended to the USA, Great Britain and Italy. It should be noted that with its commercial name, Galalith (Galalite in Italy and Erinoid in Great Britain) it sometimes looked like celluloid, sometimes ivory and sometimes artificial horn. The first factory to manufacture it was in Great Britain in 1913. In 1930 world-wide production had reached 10,000 tons. Casein formaldehyde was used to make buttons, pins, cigarette-cases, fountain pens, umbrella handles and radio cabinets.

Celluloid

It was the first of the artificial plastic materials, invented by J.W.Hyatt starting from cellulose nitrate and camphor. It has infinite applications thanks to easy manufacture, colouring, resistance and resilience. All the objects made with Celluloid are made starting from semimanufactureds, such as plates, sheets, sticks, tubes strips and film. Celluloid can be sawn, cut, laminated, folded, punched, stretched, twisted, pressure moulded, sewn, nailed and seamed. It can be modelled simply by heating it with hot water or air, it can be glued and superficially decorated. It cannot be injected or compressed or extruded as it is decomposed at the temperature necessary for such processes.