Plastics have been described as "materials that can be moulded or shaped into different forms under pressure or heat." They were a cultural phenomenon in the twentieth century when they changed the way objects were produced, designed and used. It was also in the twentieth century that most plastic products moved away from natural raw materials to synthetically produced ones.

The museum's plastics collection began in the 1930s with the acquisition of specimens of plastic raw materials and finished products. The collection was driven largely by Arthur de Ramon Penfold (1890-1980), a former industrial chemist, who worked as curator and later director of the museum from 1927 until 1955.

Between 26 and 28 of September 1934, the Technical College and the museum collaborated to develop what was advocated as the first Plastics Industry Exhibition in Australia. A permanent display of plastics was established at the museum, and was described by the Sunday Telegraph as 'the best display of plastics and fibres in the world show(ing) the complete history of plastics from first experiments to the latest developments'.

These objects were more than likely displayed in the Museum in the 1940s and 1950s to exhibit the process of vulcanisation. By using zinc chloride and certain fibres it was possible to produce a strong plastic-like paper which had applications in the car industry.

These objects are a part of a large collection of plastics and plastic moulding powders acquired by the museum during Arthur Penfold's career. This collection gives an insight into a period of great social, material, technological and scientific development as well as the collecting practices of the museum at the time. Plastics continues to be an area that is explored and represented in the museum's collection, however today it reflects some of the more ambivalent attitudes towards plastics and their use, particularly in regards to the environment and sustainability.

Reference:

Sunday Telegraph, 'For plastics he saw great things', 11 November 1945.
M. Kaufman, the First Century of Plastics, The Plastics Institute, London, 1963. pg55
Penfold, A. R., 'Plastics and Synthetic Fibres', A.H. Pettifer, Government Printer, Sydney, 1956


Erika Dicker,
Assistant Curator, May 2008.

Samples of vulcanised zinc chloride and fibre, made by [The National Vulcanized Fibre Co], [USA], 1946

Vulcanized fibres was first developed in the mid 1800s. They are formed by the reaction between wood or cotton fibres and chemicals such as zinc chloride, acids, and bases to produce a slurry. The mix is then flattened under heat which produces calendered sheets, which is essentially a very strong paper. Some of its applications are for washers, insulating plates, electric motor insulation, and electric motor parts.
Reference:
Vulcanized fibre-an old material with a new relevancy
Brown, W.F.
Electrical Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding Conference, 1999. Proceedings
Volume , Issue , 1999 Page(s):309 - 312
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/EEIC.1999.826229

It is not specifically known who made these objects however they were brought back from overseas by Arthur Penfold in 1946. He had visited the National Vulcanized Fibre Company in the USA on his trip and it is believed these objects were manufactured there.

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