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Types of plastic

Dave Hakkens davehakkens

Types of plastic

07/12/2015 at 18:25

An overview of the different types of plastic, these are the most common ones. We mostly work with PP, HDPE, LDPE and PS. Just because we gather that the most from our waste here. However they should al work with our machines, just requires some (temperature) testing.

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In reply to: Types of plastic

helper
06/06/2017 at 14:16

Thanks! great Job! i thin. this tables should be added to V3.0 docs!

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
26/06/2017 at 19:44

Hello,

Newbie here to the forum. Very excited about the direction and goals of the members. I am not educated in the science of the various plastics or polymer chemical makeup. I have been chipping up many different forms of plastics and abs computer cases with an old Troy built Garden style wood chipper that I have modified. I have numerous 55 gallon drums of mixed plastic chips. I eventually want to build Dave’s shredder and also get into crumb rubber.

My question is about Pyrolysizing plastics. As you know applying heat to such things as plastic or rubber while held in a vacuum, will cause the material to break down and release a gas, BUT not burn because of no oxygen. That gas can be captured and depending on the material, can be condensed back into a liquid form such as oil. For example, cellophane. The gas can also be burned off, and with proper oxygen introduced, it will burn pretty clean and hot. HOWEVER, if that gas from some plastics or pvc is just allowed to escape out into the air, it can be very toxic. And by the way, the by-product is pure carbon black, which is a good thing to use or put back into the environment. My problem is not knowing enough about the different polymers in the various forms of plastics to know which chemicals are the real dangerous toxic ones, if allowed to escape. Because of your background education, could you possibly list the various plastics and the types of potential toxic chemicals they could produce if allowed to off-gas? Any educational information about these different types of plastics and the dangerous chemicals they could produce would be very much appreciated. @jtravis

In reply to: Types of plastic

helper
27/06/2017 at 09:35

Celophan is not a plastic-like matterial beacuse it is made from wood maybe you wanted to say Polyethylen.
PVC – is very toxic because Cl. When Cl contact with water (for example in Lungs) it will produce H-Cl – very toxic acid and will damage organs. thats why it is not recomended to work with PVC in DIY projects.

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
07/07/2017 at 04:36

@mathijsstroober Nice work with the chart really complete, I would also add the average price for recycled materials just as a reference

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
24/07/2017 at 09:08

Hi Friends!

I’m working in a project to recycle a multilayer bags used to food packaging and more..
The problem is that when I try to melt it, it doesn’t work properly because some part melt good and other just burned.. Do you have any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks!

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
07/11/2017 at 19:32

Hello marcelozp!

I am building the machines to recycle polycarbonate lenses into square molds to use as floor tiles. Are there any potential dangers when grinding/melting polycarbonate? Harmful gases? Thanks!

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
07/11/2017 at 20:59

What do you know about ?

World first bioplastic solution to growing coffee cup waste

I heard the oxo degradable plastic is not good.
Im working on helping restaurants go to alternatives.

Thanks,
Andrea

In reply to: Types of plastic

helper
21/11/2017 at 16:33

Hi marcelozp,
Am Moraa from Kenya. Am trying to work with PET plastics but i find it so brittle. What can you make out of it, the melting temperatures and any information that can help please.

Many thanks.

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
30/11/2017 at 22:15

thanks that info help me a lot in plastic classification. Dave, thanks for your help. Earth proud of you.

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
23/01/2018 at 19:26

I am interested in to recycle ABS, it is possible wiht the precious plastic machines?
thanks

In reply to: Types of plastic

helper
24/01/2018 at 01:16

yes for sure you can!i have tried that with the injection and was fine!

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
25/01/2018 at 21:35

Does anyone have experience with shredding ABS from printers/copiers? jtravis recycled some of those ABS cases with a wood chipper but I wonder how well that goes with the precious plastic shredder. I have piles of it at my school but these things are quite hard. I suppose much depends on the power of the engine..

In reply to: Types of plastic

helper
22/02/2018 at 10:23

About identifying plastic types.

This is from “User’s Guide to Plastic”, a book that is used in plastic related education.

Identifying plastic types by burning.

Material – Type of fire – Odor
ABS – Yellow flame with black smoke, drips – Very characteristic for ABS
PA-Nylon – Blue flame with yellow top, melts and drips with transparent and very fluid drops – Burnt wood
PC-Polycarbonate – Yellow flame with smoke, melts and chars
PE-Polyeten – Blue flame with yellow top, transparant drops that burns – Candles
POM-Acetalplastic – Blue flame without smoke – Ammonia
PP-Polypropen – Blue flame with yellow top, swells and drips – Sweet/Wool
PS – Yellow flame, with black sooting smoke – Citygas (?)
PVC – Yellow flame with green edges, softens – Sulphuracid
SAN – Yellow with black sooting smoke

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
10/03/2018 at 22:30

Hi, did anyone has an experience with HDPE? I would like to know about mechanical properties of recycled HDPE in comparison with virgin HDPE. Thanks.

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
13/03/2018 at 11:25

I would also like to know as i will be doing a DIY project. Currently I have empty HDPE bottles and mostly (detergent bottles or oil bottles). Thank you!

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
27/03/2018 at 18:03

Hi @Mathijsstroober,
Thanks for sharing these graphics! Curious if you have worked with or know any resources you could suggest for learning about turning a recycled plastic into a dense foam? I’d love to make or source a recycled plastic that is stiff but elastic enough to take some rough handling without fracturing.

Thanks for any help!
Josh

In reply to: Types of plastic

dedicated
27/03/2018 at 21:04

@plasticinabackpack,
Unfortunately, it dense foam is made by thermossetting plastics and therefor not recyclable. It is not possible to make ‘foamy’ plastics with recyclable types.

HDPE does meet your requirements and is perfect for products like mallets, hammers etc

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
27/03/2018 at 21:29

@Mathijsstroober,
Thanks for the fast response, perhaps HDPE is the best material for my application! I’m making a wood frame backpack, however, the wood-to-wood glue joints seem to be the weak point. I thought that replacing the wood cross-members with a relatively stiff polymer (with an elastic range) might be the best option to prevent fractures from stress or big drops.

Any ideas on the best ways to learn about and get hands on experience with the PE’s?

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In reply to: Types of plastic

dedicated
28/03/2018 at 11:35

@plasticinabackpack
Meting PE bags in an regular oven is relatively safe to try with. Also ironing bags in many layers together can create stiff blocks of PE

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
28/03/2018 at 16:03

@mathijsstroober,
Great ideas, Thanks again!! I’ll dig into some experiments 🙂

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
06/04/2018 at 00:14

So im new to plastic but i have a question. How are some companies making blocks or construction materials with out separating the plastic?

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
25/04/2018 at 05:34

HDPE grind / flake / scrap

Hi im Stephen from Indonesia Plastic,
We are professional Plastic Supplier with experience more than 5 Years
Here are my product details :

Product
: HDPE regrind, Clean, not mixed

Available Colour
: Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Cream

Available Quantity / month
: 1000 Metric Tons

Regular Customer
: European and South American Countries

Size
: 10 – 12 mm or As Requested

Price
: 900 USD / MT, exwork Jakarta – Indonesia

Minimum Order
: 1 container / 25 MT

Contact Person
: Stephen, [email protected], +628 11 888 1140 ( Whatsapp Only )

Looking forward to hear good news from you.
Thank you.

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In reply to: Types of plastic

new
26/04/2018 at 14:48

What can be done to reduce UV degradation

In reply to: Types of plastic

helper
15/05/2018 at 21:14

@dustin88

Add uv blocker to your material

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
28/05/2018 at 21:50

Hi guys, just wanted to know if PP, PE and/or PS were suitable for 3D printers

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
06/09/2018 at 15:20

Does the plastic strength decreases after melting or are there other material which are mixed with the plastic to maintain its strength.

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
20/09/2018 at 15:04

If you want to know anything about HDPE here’s an extremely comprehensive page including history, application, recycling, research etc. https://provprocure.com/hdpe-high-density-polyethylene/

In reply to: Types of plastic

new
13/02/2019 at 22:12

Just found this website with more information and thought that it might be of use to some people : https://www.boedeker.com/Technical-Resources/Technical-Library/Plastic-Identification

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
23/04/2019 at 13:27

Hello All,
A little help please. I am wanting to understand thermoplastics/thermosets and wonder if they can be recycled and reused with the precious plastic method.

 

Long story short, where I work we accumulate a lot of plastic toys and kitchenware – which I am told are generally made of thermoplastics and/or thermosets. I would really like to get the big boss on board with precious plastics in order to make a change to our plastic waste, but quickly realise I have no knowledge in this area.

 

Any help or information would be HIGHLY appreciated.

Thank you so much!! 🙂

In reply to: Types of plastic

starter
18/11/2019 at 21:43

@mathijsstroober those charts are great! I was wondering if you have published them anywhere else, and if they can be shared on a website with credit to you?

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