Alexander Parkes was a Birmingham inventor born in 1813 and is credited with creating the first man-made plastic. His groundbreaking work paved the way for the manufacture of plastic products.
The son of a lock manufacturer, Parkes excelled in metallurgy and was responsible for numerous inventions. His most notable achievements include:
- Developing a process for removing silver from lead using molten zinc
- The cold vulcanisation process
- The invention of Parkesine, later developed into celluloid
In total, Parkes was awarded 66 patents, most of which related to metallurgy. His vulcanisation process applied to cloth led to the development of the Macintosh coat, which became widely known for its waterproof qualities.
Parkes’s most famous work involved plastics. His invention of Parkesine was intended to replicate materials such as ivory and horn and would go on to revolutionise modern life.
Although Parkes formed a company to manufacture his new material, the business ultimately failed. He was an inventor rather than a businessman and struggled to turn his ideas into commercial success.
It was left to the Hyatt Brothers in the United States to take plastics to the next stage by combining camphor with cellulose nitrate, creating a more pliable material and establishing the commercial viability of plastics.
Alexander Parkes retired to London, where he died in 1890.
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