Thermosetting of Bakelite plastic. Footage of a newly synthesised block of the plastic Bakelite being heated using a blowtorch, turning the plastic permanently hard (thermosetting). Bakelite is produced in an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde to produce a phenol formaldehyde resin. It was first produced by Leo Baekeland in 1907, and was the first synthetic thermosetting plastic ever made. For the synthesis of this plastic, see clip K004/5019. For the reaction beaker being emptied see clip K004/5020.