Risks

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Plastic Toxicity

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Re: Plastic recycler Posted by: Lionel (host86-160-66-209.range86-160.btcentralplus.com) Date: February 18, 2010 01:10PM

About plastic toxicity, thermoplastics are not toxic (as long as they are used well below their ignition temperature, of course, and as long as they are polymerised. Monomers are usually toxic). What may be toxic are the adjuvent: these are chemical added to the plastic to give it some additional properties. It can be antistatics, fungicides, lubricants, UV protectors, and so on. More documentation about them would be good in order to have a better idea of the risks, but for small amounts a well ventilated room should be enough.

Moderate: Delete•Delete + Replies•Split Here•Hide + Replies•Edit Options: Reply•Quote•PM•Follow Topic•Report Re: Plastic recycler Posted by: BeagleFury Date: February 18, 2010 01:35PM

Lionel Wrote:


> About plastic toxicity, thermoplastics are not > toxic (as long as they are used well below their > ignition temperature, of course, and as long as > they are polymerised. Monomers are usually > toxic).

Upon heating beyond a certain range, some thermo-plastics will decompose into dangerous chemical, the most common one being chlorine gas, which has a nasty habit of forming hydrochloric acid in your lungs when inhaled. This can happen even below ignition temperatures. Examples of plastics of this nature include PTFE, the material most commonly used as a heat barrier in the extruder. PVC may have some decomposition products, and definitely produces dangerous levels of HCl while combusting.

HDPE, PLA, and the other more common RepRap plastics should be fine, though I'd recommend not sticking your head over a combusting sample, just to be safe.

Additives and dye

Plastics contains Additives to modify their properties. A lot of these additives are toxic.

Dye could also be toxic. Dark dye as found in cheap filament may contains heavy metals (lead and chromium), in violation of EU (CE) and US (EPA) regulations.

Extruder Flameout

Hypothetical

Wax

Utterly Dangerous