Background

Alexander Parkes came into being at Suffolk Street, Birmingham, the fourth offspring of James Mears Parkes and his significant other Keren happuch Childs. Samuel Harrison, depicted by Sir Josiah Mason as the planner of the split-ring and by and large credited with the production of the steel pen, was his mind blowing uncle. Parkes was twice hitched. By his first marriage, in which he appeared to marry Jane Henshall Moore, he had four kids and two young ladies (Howard Parkes was his grandson and famous cricketer), and by his second marriage, which he appeared to marry Mary Ann Roderick, four youngsters and seven young ladies.

The senior surviving offspring of his second marriage, Alexander Parkes junior, showed various one of a kind case of Parkesine to the Science Museum in 1937, the focal point of the presentation lobby's Parkesine gathering. Parkes' more young kin Henry (1824–1909), a readied researcher, who was hitched to Fanny Roderick (1837–97), a sister of Alexander's second mate, helped him in a noteworthy number of his trials in the midst of a planned exertion persisting more than fifty years. It is assumed that the Parkes family slips from the Rev. Michael Parkes, Vicar of Penkridge, Staffordshire, and had close relationship with the metal-working towns of Wednesbury and Wolverhampton in the 16–18th many years. Notwithstanding the way that he never admired his thing, Alexander Parkes (1813-1890) composed one of the soonest sorts of plastic.

It at last incited the business and gathering achievement of plastic things. Atalented metallurgist and trailblazer, Parkes held 66 licenses on strategies and things related to electro-plating and plastic change. His next undertaking was an improved procedure for printing calico. To this end, he made and delivered reliable metal tubes and chambers, again tolerating different licenses on his developments.

Education

Alexander came into being in eight siblings in which he was born in middle and his dad made metal locks. Despite the fact that very little data is acquired through her life stories identified with his initial instruction yet it appeared that he had confronted many troubles in his family. Having such immense family he didn't get much chances to acquire instruction yet obviously he had honey bee getting preparing.

He was youthful creator and having such foundation of father in making of metal locks, he gave off an impression of being occupied with compound things. As a young fellow he was apprenticed to a metal foundry that had practical experience in the craftsmanship metal exchange. After all his instructive foundation was not found in the matter of studies and no such description related to his teacher to attempt his initial studies. He considered the all underlying methodology of making shaping plating innovations and helped his dad in checking around his work and getting included into the things for better work.

From that point he went to work at an electroplating firm, where he created forms for silver-plating such unordinary things as bug catching networks and living plants. His work in these commercial enterprises prompted his trying different things with arrangements of elastic and cellulose nitrate.

Career

English scientist and innovator noted for his improvement of different modern procedures and materials and for having developed the primary plastic. As a young fellow, Parkes was apprenticed to metal originators. He later joined Elkington, Mason and Co. as supervisor of a throwing office. His enthusiasm for the recently shaped elastic industry in the 1840s and 1850s prompted the development of another material which he called Parkesine.

Parkesine depended on cellulose nitrate and is for the most part acknowledged as the principal plastic. Parkes was extremely talented and he had good skills of inventing many exceptional things in his life. He had got good opportunities in his life experimenting good things for better output in his field. Parkes acquainted his new material with incredible open enthusiasm at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London and was recompensed a prize decoration. He set up The Parkesine Company at Hackney Wick in London with the point of advertising Parkesine yet the undertaking was not financially fruitful.

This was somewhat on the grounds that the material turned out to be profoundly combustible and incompletely in light of the fact that Parkes traded off the nature of his merchandise with an end goal to hold the cost down. The organization was exchanged in 1868.

A lot of Parkes' work was identified with metallurgy. He was one of the first to propose bringing little measures of phosphorus into metal amalgams to improve their quality. One of his most huge developments was a strategy for extricating silver from lead metal. This system, generally called the Parkes procedure (licensed in 1850), includes adding zinc to lead and softening the two together. Whenever mixed, the liquid zinc responds and shapes mixes with any silver and gold present ahead of the pack. These zinc mixes are lighter than the lead and, on cooling, shape a hull that can be promptly evacuated. Another of Parkes' critical commitments was the disclosure of the chilly vulcanization process (1841), a technique for waterproofing fabrics by method for an answer of elastic and carbon disulfide. Parkes likewise created an adaptable material called Parkesine (1856) from different blends of nitrocellulose, alcohols, camphor, and oils that originated before the improvement of the primary plastic, celluloid.

Despite the fact that Parkes was a productive designer and was granted 66+ licenses amid a time of 46 years, the greater part of which identified with metallurgy, he likewise added to progressions in different ranges. In 1846 he was conceded a patent for the creation of a frosty vulcanization process. Utilized broadly by Goodyear as a part of the United States and Hancock in England, it was a methods by which materials could be rubber treated with a cool arrangement, swapping the requirement for common elastic to be dealt with in sulfur at high temperatures.

Utilizing his vulcanization procedure, material, for example, fabric could be rubber treated by utilizing an answer of elastic as a part of bisulfide of carbon, which created a meager, waterproof article. Elkington and Mason utilized the procedure for waterproofing before offering the patent rights to Macintosh and Company, who got to be acclaimed for their waterproofing items.

Achievements

• An enthusiastic man and productive designer, Parkes took out more than 80 licenses amid his life, a large portion of which identified with metallurgy; he likewise fathered 20 kids. He served as an understudy to metal organizers. Parkes was apprenticed to Messenger and Sons, metal organizers of Birmingham, before going to work for George and Henry Elkington, who licensed the electroplating procedure. Parkes was placed responsible for the throwing division, and his consideration soon started to concentrate on electroplating. The patent included electroplating an article beforehand plunged in an answer of phosphorus contained in bisulfide of carbon, and after that in nitrate of silver. A bug catching networks, silver-plated by strategy, was introduced to Prince Albert when he went by the Elkington works in 1844.

Religion

Parkes was British man. It was thought that he was Christian but not proper information is obtained regarding his religious beliefs. His lot of the life was spent in availing the opportunities to obtain maximum benefits from to get distinctive results. His findings and works bought revolution in history of chemistry. But throughout his life he had not any shown any religious belief. Not much data is obtained according to his religious beliefs. His work took him more beyond expectations of distinction in life, which didn’t allow him to get attracted to any religion. May be he had strong belief but not such information was obtained in his biographies.

Politics

Parkes was enthusiastic to bring any change in this world. He wanted to revolutionize the world by his work. He had gone through many hardships of life. Due to lack of resources he had to take some ordinary orders from any political or democratic party. So it was necessary for him to stay in touch with local political party to bring out his work more independently and freely. He had good views on any part related to him because he always wanted their support. So he had gone through many political people but never gave any views and debate comments to get himself in trouble, which may result into nothing except loss.

Views

Parkes is recollected in a few areas: the Plastics Historical Society put a blue plastic plaque on his home in Dulwich, London, in 2002. His work is still applauded in everyfiled of electroplating. The Birmingham Civic Society raised a Blue Plaque remembering him in 2004 on the first Elkington Silver Electroplating Works (The old Science Museum), Newhall Street, Birmingham. There is additionally a plaque on the mass of the site of the Parkesine Works. In September 2005, Parkes was after death drafted into the American Plastics Academy's Hall of Fame. He is covered in West Norwood Cemetery, London, despite the fact that his commemoration was evacuated in the 1970s.

Personality

An enhancing metalworker via preparing, Parkes was to turn his sharp knowledge towards an assortment of old and new materials in the prospering modern universe of mid-nineteenth century Britain. His life was a dynamic one – he was allowed more than 66 licenses. He additionally discovered time to father 17 youngsters with two spouses, his second wife being the companion of his eldest girl. Parkes had a shifted and effective profession in metallurgy, dealing with various procedures, including the delivering of lead – known as the Parkes procedure. While utilized at Elkington, Mason and Company in Birmingham, he built up a procedure for electroplating gems and later delicate common items. The embodiment of this method was a silver-plated cobweb's exhibited to Prince Albert. Parkesine is a sensitive material, subject to degradation by light, so is every once in a while put on display. Regardless, from December 2013 to mid 2014 a decision of articles delivered utilizing this fabulous and remarkable semi-produced plastic can be seen at the Science Museum, together with various things associated with the life and works of Alexander Parkes.

Physical Characteristics: Alexander Parkes was simple man, belonged to the middle class family with high spirits to do distinctive approach in the world of chemistry. He used to wear traditional clothes throughout his life. He was bald headed and he had some of the beard. He was not handicapped at all and he had good traits and characteristics. He had no marks on his face though he used to work with complete protection with chemicals. In most of his available photos he had moustache and in which he was dressed and bow around his neck. He had attractive features around his face. He was loved by his work.

Quotes from others about the person

• "Although he never perfected his product, Alexander Parkes (1813-1890) invented one of the earliest forms of plastic. It eventually led to the commercial and manufacturing success of plastic products. Atalented metallurgist and inventor, Parkes held 66 patents on processes and products related to electro-plating and plastic development."

Interests

• reading, inventions

Connections

Alexander Parkes was born in Birmingham, England, on December 29, 1813 as a child of metal lock producer. As far back as his young age he apprenticed with his dad and in the end went to wind up student at Messenger and Sons (celebrated metal authors of Birmingham) and George and Henry Elkington. He had two wives, Jane Henshall Moore and Mary Ann Roderick. Henry was his brother. He had almost 17 children.

Father:

James Mears Parkes

Mother:

Keren happuch Childs

Spouse:

Jane Henshall Moore

Spouse:

Mary Ann Roderick

Grandson:

Howard Parkes

Son:

Alexander Parkes junior

younger brother:

Henry

References

• A Biographical Dictionary of Scientists byTrevor I. Williams
  1974