How to Identify Polymers with Burnination
Confirmed: Moleskine notebooks contain PVC or other chlorinated plastics. Do not laser cut them for your safety and the safety of your laser cutter.
Adam brought his laptop in to etch today. As we all know, laser cutting PVC is bad and releases chlorine gas (which is corrosive and bad for you and your machine.) Adam’s laptop was made of an unknown polymer, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t damage our new lazzzor. Luckily, there is an easy way to determine if a plastic is okay to etch. Watch the video below, and check out this guide to polymer identification for full details. There is actually a suite of tests you use to determine the type of plastic, but the burning one is the most fun, as well as the one that detects chlorine. Enjoy!
Polymer Identification by Burnination from Zach 'Iowa' Hoeken on Vimeo.
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Oh god. That’s… that’s really what my voice sounds like, isn’t it.
I’m going to laser-etch my trachea next.
[...] The crew at NYCResistor conducted a series of “burnination” experiments to determine the chlorine content of materials before running them through a laser cutter. They confirm recent suspicions that moleskine notebook covers contain the PVC or other chlorinated plastics. Smart move - too often I’m left wondering, “how toxic is that?” after accidentally(or intentionally) melting/burning/exploding something. More info on their technique - How to Identify Polymers with Burnination [...]
[...] The crew at NYCResistor conducted a series of “burnination” experiments to determine the chlorine content of materials before running them through a laser cutter. They confirm recent suspicions that moleskine notebook covers contain the PVC or other chlorinated plastics. Smart move - too often I’m left wondering, “how toxic is that?” after accidentally(or intentionally) melting/burning/exploding something. More info on their technique - How to Identify Polymers with Burnination [...]
Oh yeah, I hear yah; it’s always disturbing to see/hear yourself (though I suppose you can get used to it with practice).
I see myself in pics or video and I’m always, omg, what dork!
Oh yeah, Chlorine; for extra credit in junior high science class, I made a quart jar of chlorine. My teacher, clearly, was an idiot.
When I aired it out after class, a huge mistake, I ended up with the most amazing headache.
If Chlorine is bad, Fluorine should also be bad. Thus, you probably shouldn’t burn/laser-etch Teflon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene
But, the question is, what will the flame test response be for Fluorine?
i love you, phooky. you are the awesome.
[...] been curious about what’s in your plastic? The fellas at NYCResistor (a DIY group, not an underground insurgency) have a handy video to show us if you’ve got some [...]
PTFE appears to be reasonably safe. Fluorine is so electronegative I doubt our puny laser can pry it from whatever it’s currently bound to.
Phooky, you’re famous! And to think I knew you when you were a NOBODY.
here’s the chemistry basis… the copper ions from the solid copper wire combines with the freed up chloride (in the burnt plastic) to form copper chloride… which burns green:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/jcesoft/cca/cca2/MAIN/FLAME/CD2R1.HTM
also remember that a propane torch releases CO (ie: carbon monoxide) which is poisonous. If you get a headache while burning “safe non-PVC’s”, it could be because of the CO.
[...] we got the Lazor at NYCR, Adam discovered that Moleskin’s have PVC (not good) in the leather and lazering such a thing could be harmful [...]