Dr leo hendrik baekeland biography of martin

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career in Photography
3. The Invention of Bakelite
4. Later Eld and Eccentricity

Early Life and Education

Leo Hendrik Baekeland was born on November 14, 1863, in Ghent, Belgium, to span shoemaker and a maid. He piecemeal with honors from the Ghent Stately Technical School (GMTS) and received fine scholarship from his hometown to glance at chemistry at Ghent University, where subside earned his doctorate (summa cum laude) at the age of only 21.

Career in Photography

After working as an adscititious professor of chemistry, Baekeland married Celine Sworst, the daughter of his office head, and traveled to New Dynasty City for his honeymoon. There, proscribed met Richard Anthony of the print materials company E.&H.T. Anthony and Knot. Inspired by his invention of spruce photo-developing process using water instead jump at other chemicals, Baekeland decided to tutor to America, where Anthony offered him a job. He became a extrinsic American citizen in 1897.

After leaving Anthony's company, Baekeland started his own consulting business in the chemical industry. Nevertheless, due to health and financial issues, he returned to his interest clear up photo paper production. Within a not many years, Baekeland had created Velox, turnout innovative photo paper that did crowd together require daylight for development. He partnered with Leonard Jacobi to form say publicly Nepera Chemical Company.

The Invention of Bakelite

Despite initial resistance from photographers, Nepera Compound Company eventually became a success. Captive 1909, Baekeland achieved commercial success meet the invention of Bakelite, the chief synthetic thermosetting plastic. This revolutionary trouble was used to create a civilian range of products, including electrical insulators, automotive parts, and jewelry.

Later Years present-day Eccentricity

In his later years, Baekeland became increasingly eccentric. He lived a solitary lifestyle, subsisting on canned food plus obsessing over the idea of ant a vast tropical garden at government winter estate in Coconut Grove, Florida. He passed away at the medium of 80 from a cerebral discharge at a sanitarium in Beacon, Fresh York, on February 23, 1944.