Wood Pulp Polymer

Tenite™ is Eastman Plastics’ trade name for a proprietary compound of cellulose acetate (a polymer derived from wood pulp) and plasticizers. This polymer was introduced in 1929 as one of the first modern thermoplastics, and was fairly heavily employed in the production of toothbrushes, tool handles and other hand-held consumer products of the time. It fell out of favour as a result of its relatively high cost and was replaced by plastics like polystyrene. However, concerns about the sustainability of petroleum-derived plastics have led to renewed interest in cellulosic polymers derived from renewable, plant-based sources. 

This particular plastic is derived from a mixture of non-renewable fossil fuels and biofuels manufactured from cotton and softwood. Eastman Plastics normally produce Tenite in pellet form, but this pebble shape sample is the result of a new marketing campaign aimed at conveying the sensory qualities of the material to designers. In collaboration with Rotuba Extruders, they produced this fragranced, palm-sized form to invoke all the material’s sensory aspects – its capacity to carry and retain a scent; its boiled sweet-like bright colour and transparency; and the smoothness and ‘self-polishing’ capacity of its surface (small scratches are gradually smoothed out by constant contact). According to the marketing material, it is also supposed to be warm to the touch, and to sound like wood, though this is a common property of polymers.