Bandalasta

Description

An early 20th century (about 1928) proprietary name for a urea Thiourea formaldehyde resin. Bandalasta was a precursor to Beetle resins. The resins were naturally light colored and often produced in numerous pastel shades. Some were sprinkled with pigments to simulate variegated colors of marble and alabaster. However Bandalasta resins had poor heat and moisture resistance and many tableware items from the 1930s exhibit severe discoloration because of their use with hot liquids.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Linga Longa; urea-thiourea formaldehyde; urea thiourea formaldehyde Commercial Products: Beetle [American Cyanamid]; Beatl; Beetleware; Plaskon; Duroware; Hemocoware; Uralite

Risks

• Fading, cracking
• Susceptible to insects because of fillers

Resources and Citations

• Care and Identification of Objects Made from Plastic, Conserve O Gram 8/4, National Park Service, September 2010.
• The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Plastics"