Than dissolve plastic bottles to a liquid state. Do-it-yourself plastic recycling at home. Deciphering the designation of plastics

In this guide, I'll show you how to melt plastic at home. Remelting high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles and making them into blocks that can be used in a variety of ways.

We use and throw away a lot of plastic bottles every day ... Let's change that!

Dave Hackens is an amazing guy who has done a lot of videos about plastic recycling. He shows you how to collect, melt and process plastic items to create new things. However, if you just want to try recycling a few bottles, follow this quick guide.

Step 1: materials and tools

MATERIALS:

• High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Bottles
• Wooden planks (for making a mold)

INSTRUMENTS:

• clamps
• baking paper
• gloves with thermal protection
• scissors / knife

Step 2: Form

It is not necessary to make a very complex mold for melting plastic.

Since we are going to melt plastic and get a regular block, we need simple box... The more accurately and accurately the box is assembled, the more accurate and accurate the block will be.

As you can see from the above pictures, I used wooden planks that lay in my workshop, I also covered each inner surface boxes with baking paper. This will be important later when we retrieve the block from the form. Wood is a porous material and molten plastic is very sticky, so don't touch them.

Step 3: How to cut the bottles

First of all, HDPE, what is it? How can you tell it apart from all other types of plastic?

HDPE - High Density Polyethylene. It is a fairly common material used specifically for the production of plastic bottles and corrosion-resistant piping.

As you can see in picture # 1, it can be easily distinguished from other types of plastic thanks to the number “2” as the resin identification code.

After removing the labels and washing the bottles, we need to cut them into small pieces. Less is better as it takes less time to melt. Use a knife or sturdy scissors.

I usually start with the knife, cut off the neck (photo # 2), which is the harder part, then cut off the base and finally the handle.

Then you can use scissors to make smaller pieces out of larger pieces (photo # 4).

Step 4: melting

Each type of plastic has a different melting point.

Dave Hackens has done a great job with each type to customize the correct melting point ().

I found out that in my oven, HDPE usually melts at around 180 ° C.

While the oven is heating, place a piece of baking paper on a baking sheet and place the pieces of plastic on top of it. Finally, place the baking sheet in the oven and check it every 10 minutes.

Step 5: marble effect

The first paint I'll show you is my favorite: the marble effect.

After 10/15 minutes, if you see the plastic looking sticky, you can pull it out of the oven. Put on heat-resistant gloves and roll the plastic (Photo # 2/3).

Act quickly (the plastic cools down), but keep in mind that it is very hot and sticky.

Once you have something like what you can see in photo # 4, you can put it back in the oven.

WARNING: Use gloves! If plastic gets on your skin, wash the affected area immediately cold water to relieve pain.

Step 6: fix the shape

After 10 minutes, remove the plastic from the oven and place it in the mold. Clamp it as tightly as you can, and every 5 minutes, tighten the clamps harder. HDPE shrinks as it cools, so you must tighten the clamps frequently to get a flat block.

Step 7: marble block

This is the result after 2 hours of refrigeration.

As you can see from the photo, thanks to the torsion-rotational motion technique that we used, we got a wonderful marble effect. I really like this method because you can see all the colors used.

Step 8: camouflage effect

Here's another coloring. I call it the camouflage effect.

It is easier and safer than the marble effect because there is no need to touch the plastic with your hands. As in Step 5, after 10/15 minutes, if you see the plastic looking sticky, you can remove it from the oven.

This time we will be using the folding technique. Very carefully (and always use gloves), lift the baking paper on one side and fold the plastic over you (photo # 2).

Repeat on the other side and place back in the oven.

Step 9: fix the shape

After 10 minutes of melting, remove the plastic from the oven, fold it one last time, making something like an egg roll (photo # 1) and place it in the mold.

As in step 6, pinch it as hard as you can and return every 5 minutes to tighten the clamps. Then leave it to cool for a couple of hours.

Step 10: camouflage block

Here is the result. Looks really like camouflage.

What kind of material is used in the production of plastic containers. How do plastics differ from each other? Plastic

It is quite easy to determine the type of plastic, if there is a marking - but what if there is no marking, but to find out what the thing is made of is necessary ?! For quick and high-quality recognition of various types of plastics, a little desire and practical experience... The technique is quite simple: the physical and mechanical properties of plastics (hardness, smoothness, elasticity, etc.) and their behavior in the flame of a match (lighter) are analyzed. It may seem strange, but different kinds plastics and burn differently! For example, some flare up brightly and burn intensely (almost without soot), while others, on the contrary, smoke heavily. Plastics even make different sounds when they burn! Therefore, it is so important to accurately identify the type of plastic, its brand by a set of indirect signs.

How to determine LDPE (polyethylene high pressure, low density)... It burns with a bluish, glowing flame with reflow and burning polymer streaks. When burning, it becomes transparent, this property remains for a long time after extinguishing the flame. Burns without soot. Burning drops, when dropped from a sufficient height (about one and a half meters), emit a characteristic sound. When cooled down, the polymer droplets look like frozen paraffin, very soft, when rubbed between the fingers, they are greasy to the touch. The smoke of extinct polyethylene has a paraffin odor. Density of LDPE: 0.91-0.92 g / cm. cub.

How to determine HDPE (polyethylene low pressure, high density)... More rigid and dense than LDPE, fragile. Combustion test - similar to LDPE. Density: 0.94-0.95 g / cm. cub.

How to identify Polypropylene. When introduced into a flame, polypropylene burns with a bright glowing flame. Burning is similar to that of LDPE, but the smell is sharper and sweeter. During combustion, polymer drips are formed. In the molten form, it is transparent, when it cools, it becomes cloudy. If you touch the melt with a match, you can draw out a long, strong enough thread. The droplets of the cooled melt are harder than those of LDPE, crunching with a hard object with a crunch. Smoke with a pungent smell of burnt rubber, sealing wax.

How to identify polyethylene terephthalate (PET)... Durable, tough and lightweight material. The density of PET is 1, 36 g / cm3. It has good thermal stability (resistance to thermal destruction) in the temperature range from - 40 ° to + 200 °. PET is resistant to dilute acids, oils, alcohols, mineral salts and most organic compounds, with the exception of strong alkalis and some solvents. Strongly smoky flame when burning. Self-extinguishing when removed from the flame.

Polystyrene... When bending a strip of polystyrene, it bends easily, then breaks sharply with a characteristic crackle. A fine-grained structure is observed at the fracture. It burns with a bright, highly smoky flame (flakes of soot fly up in thin cobwebs!). The smell is sweetish, floral. Polystyrene dissolves well in organic solvents (styrene, acetone, benzene).

How to identify Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Elastic. Hardly combustible (self-extinguishing when removed from the flame). It smokes heavily when burning; a bright bluish-green glow can be observed at the base of the flame. Very harsh, pungent smoke smell. On combustion, a black, carbon-like substance is formed (it is easily rubbed into soot between fingers). Soluble in carbon tetrachloride, dichloroethane. Density: 1.38-1.45 g / cm cub.

How to identify Polyacrylate (organic glass). Transparent, fragile material. It burns with a bluish glowing flame with a slight crackle. The smoke has a pungent fruity (ether) smell. Easily soluble in dichloroethane.

How to identify Polyamide (PA). The material has excellent oil and petrol resistance and resistance to hydrocarbon products, which ensure widespread use of PA in the automotive and oil-producing industries (production of gears, artificial fibers ...). Polyamide has a relatively high moisture absorption, which limits its use in humid environments for the manufacture of critical products. Burns with a bluish flame. When burning, it swells, “puffs”, forms burning streaks. Smoke with the smell of burnt hair. Cured droplets are very hard and brittle. Polyamides are soluble in phenol solution, concentrated sulfuric acid. Density: 1.1-1.13 g / cm. cub. Drowns in water.

How to define Polyurethane. The main area of ​​application is shoe soles. Very flexible and elastic material (at room temperature). In the cold it is fragile. Burns with a smoky, glowing flame. At the base, the flame is blue. Burning drips are formed during combustion. After cooling, these drops are sticky, greasy to the touch. The polyurethane is soluble in glacial acetic acid.

How to identify Plastic ABC... All combustion properties are similar to polystyrene. It is difficult to distinguish from polystyrene. ABC plastic is more durable, tough and viscous. Unlike polystyrene, it is more resistant to gasoline.

How to identify Fluoroplast-3. It is used in the form of suspensions for applying anti-corrosion coatings. Non-flammable, charring when heated. When removed from the flame, it immediately extinguishes. Density: 2.09-2.16 g / cm3

How to identify Fluoroplast-4. Non-porous material white, slightly translucent, with a smooth, slippery surface. One of the best dielectrics! Not flammable, melts with strong heating. It does not dissolve in almost any solvent. The most persistent of all known materials... Density: 2.12-2.28 g / cm3 (depends on the degree of crystallinity - 40-89%).

Physicochemical properties waste plastics in relation to acids

Physics - chemical properties waste plastics waste plastics in relation to alkalis

ANY plastic releases chemicals of varying degrees of danger into the contents of the bottle.

Nowadays, plastic products have become popular. It is convenient and practical to use them. Plastic molding at home is good idea to open your own business or just for free time. Well-made pieces look elegant and interesting and are easy to keep in order.

In addition, they have the required strength. To establish production of this kind on the territory of private ownership, it is necessary to master a couple simple rules.

Material preparation

First of all, you need to find plastic scrap for the manufacture of the future product. This is not a problem, since such raw materials are in modern world a huge amount of broken things, bottles and other plastic scrap.

However, it is necessary to take into account the fact that each type of plastic has its own temperature regime melting.

That is why one type of scrap is required for casting a specific product. Mixing several varieties of plastic products, even when studying its melting point, at low tide, often provokes the appearance of bubbles in the product.

The best option in this case is to buy liquid plastic in the store or replace it with resin dioxide, this will allow you to get quality product that will last a long time. And you will also need a number of additional aids:

• melting tank;
• silicone;
• lithol.

Plastic vapors are poisonous and highly toxic. Care must be taken when making products at home.

The form

To prepare a product at home, first of all, you need to build a model. First of all, you should decide on the material for the manufacture of the mold. The following materials are suitable for this:

• wood;
• plasticine;
• gypsum and others.

Then you should go through the manufacture of dies for casting, which will be directly used for casting. The form must be coated with lithol or any other lubricant.

If the choice fell on, then it must be taken into account that this substance works with a coefficient of more than 200%. And also it is necessary to pay attention to its viscosity, the lower it is, the more accurate the mold will be.

Silicone casting mold

Part fill

Do-it-yourself plastic molding directly depends on the material that the craftsmen have chosen for the manufacture of the future structure.

Resins are well suited for cooking, but they have different degrees of viscosity, so they will last for different times. All parameters should be studied in the instructions upon purchase.

There are recipes for making pasta at home, they require scrupulousness and scrupulousness from the master during the formation of the composition of the raw material. To make the material, mix 5 parts of fine sawdust with 2 parts of talc. Pour the mass (its consistency must correspond to the state of sour cream).

Everything is thoroughly mixed to obtain a dough of the same consistency.

There is another tricky move: you should add 0.5 parts of aluminum alum, they will prevent mold on the dough, and the plasticity increases several times.

The process of making a dough for casting with your own hands is laborious, it requires excellent knowledge on this topic. That is why many novice fillers prefer ready-made mixtures.

Plastic molding at home

Progress

Casting takes place in several stages:

• Take the mold and clean it thoroughly. After preliminary preparation it must be completely cleaned and dried. All material residues after preparatory activities must be removed.
• If it is necessary to give the future product a shade, it is necessary to add a couple of drops of paint to the casting composition. Water-based paints are not suitable for this.
• Preparatory degassing of the mixture is not required. The thing is that at home, the duration of functioning is short. And in order to remove excess air bubbles from small products, you will have to apply force with pressure and remove them yourself.
• Mix the potting compound gently and fill the template mold.
• Everything is poured slowly in a small trickle.
• The mixture is poured until the volume is completely filled, touching small area channel share for casting. The fact is that after degassing, the volume of material will decrease and become necessary for casting.
• The final stage is cooling the future structure.

The plastic is poured into a mold, after which it must be allowed to gradually cool

To obtain a quality product, the template must be cooled gradually.

Business ideas

If a small manufacturer has decided to go on a large scale of production, it is worth considering starting your own business.

Having tried your hand at home, you should compose, register, how individual entrepreneur and start making your dreams come true.

But the purchase will not bypass the entrepreneur. Yes, and it is difficult to cast molds for the production of a mass of products with your own hands. It is necessary to prepare the first products and sell them, and with the funds received, buy a certain machine for molding plastics, a press.

How to make the plastic injection process profitable in your area? Seven simple rules for casting will allow you to prepare a quality product that will look interesting and delight the eye. And over time, entrepreneurs may wonder about expanding their skills and setting up a personal business.

Video: Molding plastic at home

Sometimes you can see a picture of those who like to sit outside in a fire burning disposable plastic dishes, bottles, bags and other garbage left after a fun time. Of course, with this method of disposal of garbage, there is no need to go to the landfill and the forest remains seemingly clean. You can also meet people who use plastic to create crafts and melt it at home. But how harmless is plastic melting and burning?

Everyone should know that it is not safe to burn and melt certain types of plastic!

Many plastic products are marked with a special sign with a number that varies from 1 to 7. Each number corresponds to a specific type polymer materials, with the exception of 7, which corresponds to all other materials that cannot be attributed to the first 6. Plastics 1 to 6 refer to, i.e. they begin to soften when heated. Various types plastics react differently to fire: some begin to smolder, some melt, some barely react.

Most plastics carry the potential hazard of releasing toxic substances associated with the technology of its production and its composition, but there are also safer types among them.

1. PET or PETE (PET) - polyethylene terephthalate

PET is the most common plastic in the food industry and is most commonly used in the production of bottles. It is also a very popular material for creating various crafts. You can find many ways. You can read about industrial PET recycling.

PET melts at a fairly high temperature- 260 ° C, but when heated to 60 ° C, PET softens and loses its shape.

Danger:
PET is known for containing antimony and carcinogens. When bottled water is stored, these substances can enter the water, especially when heated. Also, these substances can be released during combustion or melting.

Conclusion:
There is a potential hazard of the release of hazardous substances when burning or melting. There are many ways to create craft PET bottles that do not require heat treatment.
If it is necessary to deform PET, it is better to heat it in boiling water - it is safer than inhaling vapors from dry heated plastic. Also remember to always work in a well-ventilated area or outdoors.

2. HDPE or HDPE - high density polyethylene or low pressure polyethylene

HDPE is the safest plastic. It is best used for making crafts as it is also the easiest to work with. This plastic is used to make bottles for milk and detergents.

Need to know:
It is safe to use HDPE containers or bottles for storing water as nothing leaches out of them. HDPE is a fairly strong plastic and does not "melt", only at VERY high temperatures. This plastic may not be flexible enough, but sometimes it is very good for creating rigid structures.

Conclusion:
This type of plastic can be used without too much concern. Melting of plastic occurs at temperatures of the order of 120-135 ° C.

3. PVS or PVC - polyvinyl chloride, also known as vinyl

PVC is the most dangerous plastic manufactured to date. Most records are made from vinyl. Despite its danger, many people, unaware of it, heat and burn PVC. The melting point of PVC is 150 - 220 ° C, but it begins to deform at 65 - 70 ° C. You can read about PVC recycling.

Danger:
PVC releases carcinogens as well as lead. When exposed to heat, it releases dioxins, one of the most dangerous pollutants and toxins.

Conclusion:
PVC can be used but heated and burned VERY DANGEROUS!!!
Again, with a strict need for melting PVC is better use boiling water and do not expose it to direct flame. This, of course, must be done in a well-ventilated area.

4. LDPE or LDPE - low density polyethylene or high density polyethylene

LDPE is another safe plastic. It is used to make buttons in devices, it is also used for production plastic film, grocery bags, trash bags, and some food containers.

What you need to know:
LDPE durable material but less sturdy than HDPE. To melt it, a considerable temperature is also needed - 90 ° C.

Conclusion:
HDPE is a fairly safe plastic to use. It takes a lot of heat to melt, and you have to be careful - if you want to melt the material, the bags, for example, can easily catch fire.

5. PP or PP - polypropylene

PP is a fairly safe plastic and is used in a variety of things, such as bottle caps, dispensers, and plastic utensils. It does not melt so easily, its melting point is 160 - 170 ° C, but it heats up quickly. You can read about the recycling of polypropylene in.

Note:
Polypropylene is safe, but some studies have shown that some types of polypropylene can release a biocide. So this material should still be used with caution.

6. PS or PS - polystyrene

Many products are made from this type of plastic, it is used in disposable tableware, packaging, children's toys and in the manufacture of thermal insulation (for example, foam) and other building materials... Hopefully everyone knows to avoid heating the styrofoam as it contains styrene. Information on recycling foam can be found at.

The melting point of polystyrene is 240 ° C, but it begins to deform at 100 ° C. When heated, a characteristic odor appears.

Danger:
It releases the most dangerous poison and carcinogen styrene.

Conclusion:
Never heat styrofoam. As a last resort, do this in a well-ventilated area.

7. OTHER or OTHER - miscellaneous plastics not listed above

These plastics include both safe and unsafe plastics. For example, PLA is a biodegradable plastic that can be handled safely. Polycarbonate (PC) is not as safe and there are studies that show it can release bisphenol A.

Plastics without marking and unfamiliar plastics must be handled very carefully, it is not known what materials they are made of and what potential danger they carry.

You need to burn plastic in a well-ventilated place, preferably outdoors. PVC and PS cannot be burned.

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Types of plastic. Thermosetting plastic and thermoplastic How polypropylene (PP or PP) is processed

You can cut parts and hone each of them by hand, but this technique is very imperfect: it takes a lot of effort, and it is impossible to get two absolutely identical products. Therefore, in this material you will learn how to do plastic molding at home.

What we may need

We do not need any special tools or materials for our hand-made plastic molding. We can make a template model, a kind of matrix, from almost anything - from metal, cardboard or wood. But regardless of which option you choose, in any case it is necessary to soak it with a special solution before starting work. This is especially true of wood and paper, because they actively absorb moisture and to prevent this process, we need to fill the pores, preferably with liquid wax.

Silicone.

If we settled on this option, then we should buy it with the lowest viscosity - this will contribute to better streamlining of the part. Of course, the results will be more accurate. On modern market there is a great variety of its varieties, and it makes no sense to compare them with each other: we have neither the time nor the opportunity for this. We can only say with confidence that a car sealant, preferably red, is ideal for coating. It will be much easier to pour plastic at home with it.

Determining the casting material

In all fairness, there are even more casting materials than silicone grades. Among them there are liquid plastic, and ordinary gypsum mixed with PVA glue, and even polyester resin. Substances for cold welding, low-melting metals and so on. But in our case, we will be based on some other characteristics of the casting substances:

• The term of their work.
• Viscosity.

Regarding the first point, it denotes the time during which we can carry out manipulations with the material that has not yet hardened. Of course, if the manufacture of plastic products takes place in a factory, then two minutes will be more than enough. Well, we, who do this at home, need at least five minutes. And if it happened that suitable materials you could not get it, then they can be replaced with a simple epoxy resin. Where to find her? In car dealerships or in stores for fans of aeromodelling. It is also common in conventional hardware stores.

Making a split shape

This one is ideal for pouring plastic with your own hands, because you can pour unusual types of resins into it. A little trick of this technique is that at the preliminary stage, the entire surface of the model must be treated with silicone, and then, after the material has completely hardened, the matrix can be cut off. After that, we extract its "insides", which will be useful to us for further casting. In order for us to fit the shape, we need to apply a three-millimeter layer of sealant, after which we just wait for the material to harden - it usually takes two hours. In this case, it is desirable to apply it with a brush. When applying the first layer, we should try to fill all the irregularities or voids with the material, so that air bubbles do not subsequently form.

How the casting process works

First step.

We take a casting mold and clean it thoroughly - it must be dry and clean. All remnants of the material remaining after the preliminary procedures must be removed.

Second step.

If the need arises, we can slightly change the color of our composition: for this you just need to add one drop of paint to it, but in no case water (liquid plastics have a personal dislike for them).

Third step.

There is no need to degass our casting mix. This can be explained by the fact that the molding of plastics at home initially provides for the relative short duration of its "life". At the same time, in order to extract air bubbles from small-sized products, you just need to remove them with your own hands after pouring.

Fourth step.

Mix all the necessary components thoroughly and pour it into the template mold slowly, with a thin stream. This should be done until the mixture fills the entire volume and some more of the casting channel. And soon, when the degassing procedure takes place, the volume of this material will significantly decrease and become what we need.

And the last tip: in order for the quality of the model to be high, you need to cool the template gradually, slowly. So, follow all the instructions and you will succeed!