Posted on behalf of Dr. Bill [wwh]:

Here is link to a very readable history
of plastics, suitable to post in tsuwm's 'plasticity'.

http://www.americanplasticscouncil.org/s_apc/sec.asp?CID=310&DID=920

When I was at Massachusetts Public Health Antitoxin
and Vaccine labs, we made a vaccine against several
common children's diseases. One ingredient had phenol
as antibacterial (to prevent bacteri from growing in it)
and another ingredient had formalin as antibacterial.
After the final product had been stored only a short
time, a brownish sediment was noticed, which was
on analysis Bakelite! The phenol and formalin had reacted
to form Bakelite!