xylonite

Xylonite is a historical term for a family of early plastics based on cellulose nitrate. Marketed under the name Xylonite and by other manufacturers, it refers to a transparent, moldable thermoplastic produced by plasticizing nitrocellulose with camphor and other solvents. The material can be cast, pressed, or extruded into various shapes and finishes, and it was widely used before safer plastics became available. Xylonite is closely associated with early celluloid.

Chemically, xylonite consists of nitrocellulose mixed with plasticizers, most commonly camphor, which render the otherwise rigid nitrocellulose into a workable polymer. Properties include good clarity, gloss, and the ability to take dyes and lacquers, making it suitable for a broad range of consumer goods. It could be produced in sheets, rods, or films and adapted for decorative and functional parts.

Historically, xylonite gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It found use in photographic film stock, as well as everyday items such as buttons, combs, jewelry, trinkets, and small instruments or cases. Its popularity waned as safer, more stable plastics emerged and as the nitrocellulose base proved highly flammable and prone to aging problems, including embrittlement and surface degradation. Film stock based on nitrocellulose also posed fire hazards and required careful handling and storage.

Today, xylonite is of interest primarily to historians of materials and technology. It represents an important early step in the development of modern plastics, illustrating both the potential and the hazards of first-generation polymer chemistry.