Catalin

Catalin is a brand name for a thermosetting polymer that was popular from the 1930s. It was developed and trademarked in 1927 by the American Catalin Corporation, when the company acquired the patents for Bakelite. Catalin is a phenol formaldehyde resin, and can be worked with files, grinders and cutters and polished to a fine sheen. Catalin is produced by a different manufacturing process, a two-stage process, than other types of phenolic resins. It does not contain fillers, such as sawdust or carbon black. Catalin is transparent, near colorless, rather than opaque. Unlike other phenolics, it can be produced in bright colors or even marbled. This fact has made Catalin more popular than other types of Bakelite for consumer products.