Collodion

In all reality, the use of excess gunpowder manufacturing capacity to produce consumer products was the beginning of the commercial plastics industry. One of the primary compounds that was developed into plastics was Collodion and it is simply guncotton with a lower nitrate constituent, less than 12%.

This material is also known by the trade name Pyroxylin; and it was developed into many different consumer products such as artificial leather, plastic and lacquers.