The Economic Times

In 1856, an English chemist invented a unique material which set the foundation stone for huge global industry: How Alexander Parkes created Parkesine, the first man-made thermoplastic?

In 1856, an English chemist invented a unique material which set the foundation stone for huge global industry. Alexander Parkes developed Parkesine, a material made from nitrocellulose and other substances. It became the first man-made thermoplastic and later became a precursor to celluloid. Parkes displayed Parkesine in London in 1862, but production problems prevented his company from succeeding commercially.