here is a pretty good paper on it. If left out to dry, it gets hard again, but not like before, without the air - it resembels plastic." The incredibly lightweight material, used in everything from consumer electronics packaging to food-grade containers, takes a chemical toll on the human body . Foam Densifiers transfer the material to a plastic extruder where the foam is exposed to heat and pressure to be melted into a paste. Have you found a way to re-expand it into foam in a new shape? See more ideas about styrofoam, styrofoam crafts, crafts. I'm curious about a need for a lid for the bucket used to melt the EPS. The plastic dissolves in just about any organic solvent, not just acetone. im curious how your wood stabilization ideas work, im pretty sure once fully dry it will machine ok (probably a little chippy. When acetone is used as a solvent, the expanded polystyrene will easily dissolve and you’ll be left with a liquid acetone/polystyrene solution. when done remove them from the heat, depending on how flexible/solventfull the starting material is, you may be able to demold it right away once it cooled, but it may be squishy still. I hear lavender oil can also work. foam though, so be sure to grab one that is specified for foam or foamboard (such as one of the ones listed above) when using it. The favorable solubility of polystyrene into p-cymene can be explained by the solubility parameter. Here are some important tips. Common packaging styrofoam is actually puffed polystyrene, the same polymer that’s used to make things like CD cases and plastic model parts. Styrofoam can be melted down using gasoline or nail polish remover to make a sticky goo that will harden into a durable plastic. you can either leave it to try more, or you can freeze it mold and all and the parts will temporary harden and shrink a little making it easier to de-mold. So far I've just made some of the goo using clean styrofoam packaging and coloured PS shot glasses and the colours look amazing. Cant wait to see if this stuff survives a drop test or actually machines like other plastic resins. Because of the slow drying time, its handy to do largeish batches, because once they are dried to this state, you can cut them up into smaller chunks or leave them for use. For a faster drying but still low toxicity solvent, I'm also having good luck with ethyl acetate. As those melted surfaces come into contact with each other and solidify, they do form a strong, though somewhat deformed joint. Styrofoam is a very good insulator, and it can be used to insulate pet houses, greenhouses, and other outdoor buildings. This article explains about top 10 styrofoam recycling tips in details. 7 Cool Ways to Reuse Styrofoam Coolers. I am a little obsessed with “melting” styrofoam lately. Might be good for just strictly commercial use, this may also vary by formulation, D-limonene: works great on plain white ps, will dissolve quite a lot per oz, nice smell, not known to be toxic, leaves the ps very clear (sometimes a slight yellowing) virtually no bubbles, long glass transition. sent you an email reply. a little more brittle than action figures, but over the span of about a month or two in good ventalation unless suepr thick (like more than a inch thick) they will harden to a resin like plastic hardness. Thank you for your time! Xyline: also dissolves the product fast, but takes a good long time to dry, and is stinky and bad for many reasons. I wonder if the solvent drying time could be sped up with the use of a vacuum chamber etc. you can use just about any 'styrofoam' except the starch peanuts. "When you mix Styrofoam (extruded polystyrene) with gasoline, the Styrofoam breaks down. Plastic storage containers not intended for use in a microwave oven can warp or melt allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into food. Keep the hot air gun moving as you heat the surface because it is making the Styrofoam melt. Still, more than 2 million tons of the stuff ends up in landfills every year. Uses include protective packaging (such as packing peanuts and in the jewel cases used for storage of optical discs such as CDs and occasionally DVDs), containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery and in the making of models. Where styrofoam brick is used for a single wall with an internal exposure, cover the exposed internal face with a fire retardant – cement skim coat, plaster, gypsum board or other. p-Cymene and polystyrene can be recovered almost quantitatively from the polystyrene solution by simple steam distillation. If left out to dry, it gets hard again, but not like before, without the air – it resembles hard plastic. About: Im a bit of a geek of all trades. Did you make this project? Considering how little styrofoam weights the volume of the waste is staggering. All the air inside escapes, and it becomes a wet, gooey mess. I have been doing research on this topic for a quite a while now .95% of people are concentrating in the fact that Styrofoam dissolve in Acetone. Does kneeding cause more bubbles? you can use just about any 'styrofoam' except the starch peanuts. The chemicals given off by melting and/or burning polymers (including stryrofoam) vary with the temperatures, but they present a serious threat to firefighters. when solid, re melts at about 104C/220F(seriously this is like easy bake kids oven temperatures! Reply It can be formed into all kinds of useful things while it is a goo. If everyone just did this step, and digested down all the packing styrofoam they get we could save a bunch of landfill space. It's best to do this project outdoors because acetone, gasoline, and other … I love your work and the passion you put in it! i have found the EPS and limonene will float on water, so you can pour several cups of water in, to the bucket first. I hope you enjoy this little fun activity as much and we did. (EPS floats, so it will only touch the solvent on the bottom, ideally you want to use as little solvent as needed to get the job done, i usually added about 20 cc's of limonene per 4 cubic feet or so of EPS. We melted styrofoam with nail polish remover, 100% acetone. I really need to get rid of those bags! rather than doing batches emptying the whole bucket as i did during a lot of my experiments. It’s self sticky and very thick, but it is handleable, (standard disclaimers for solvents on skin, gloves are not a great solution, because the stuff sticks more to them than skin) and shapes like putty, i kneaded it a bit to get out the water/acetone, and proceeded to leave one blob to dry, and one blob mushed into a small mold and i will see how it dries. White gas/ Naphthalene: works to degas and shrink it to some degree but does not soften or melt the EPS. In 10 months since the ban  there is little to suggest that  the new decree will bring about much change. (not connected to seller in any way other than as a satisfied customer). The slow drying time is a disadvantage of the Limonene, but it being nontoxic, biodegradable, renewable, and pleasantly citrus scented, are a good trade off for the slow thickening time. Although the Styrofoam brand has become the common term for polystyrene, Styrofoam is mostly used as insulation rather than as craft material because it is a harder foam. I also wonder if the initial goop was made thin enough it could be used to stabilize wood for lathing. and the Polystyrene will turn into a runny goo when it touches the solvent. but then again i had a pretty cheap single stage pump. It does take awhile to harden but once it does you have a lightweight sturdy shape that floats in water. It is best to use Styrofoam egg crates for this purpose because there is less chance of the wax absorbing into the pores of the mold. Also do I kneed it to get some of the liquid out or should I just let it sit out the moment i remove it from liquid to let it dry? Napalm is the generic name for the mixture of a flammable petroleum substance, typically diesel gasoline, with a thickening or gelling agent to give the fiery substance “sticky” properties. This EPS comes from the fishing industry and the buoys they use in mussels culture. The process of recycling Styrofoam involves feeding the collected expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam through conveyor belts into a machine that first shreds the material. An eye-popping 46,000 pieces of plastic float on every square mile of ocean! I have also not investigated only using acetone vapors, perhaps a bucket with a pie tin in it with acetone under it, and ps, and a lid. This is also the first step in commercial recycling too. Rub sandpaper over these surfaces to add a little more subtle surface texture. this not only allows the eps to sink a bit deeper into the limonene, decreasing the solvent needed, but also the water gives food particles and other contaminants a place to settle out into, this plus the layer of limonene/polystyrene on top keeps it from smelling, and the end result eps is a little more easy to get out of the bucket because its a rubbery layer on top of the water. Styrofoam is a massive problem in the developing world. 5 Materials. Of late most of my free energy has going into Making sure our hacker/makerspace is awesome! Here is some information from the FDA Plastics and the Microwave. According to the above site. Toaster oven, or possibly even an old ezbake oven or dehydrator may work, (only needs about 200F-250F, possible to do this with an oven or other heat sources.) some spare cookie sheets or even some waxed paper or whatnot to leave things to finish curing on. Interesting note, water makes the eps crash out of the acetone, but make a odd milky slushy eggdrop soup like stuff. Is that "plastic" safe to use? Here are some important tips. $2. One of the most pesky items to find reuses for is styrofoam. Please note, if you want to work with a colored end product, its pretty easy at this step to add some other #6 PS objects such as a Red Solo cup, or colored disposable plastic picnic plate or whatnot. Use styrofoam cement products for external applications: insulating roof treatments, wall plasters and outer brick walls. Is it recyclable? : (methyl ethyl ketone) also dissolves the product fast, ends up with a fairly bubble free end result, but is also stinky, and bad for many reasons. on Pinterest. Carrier, a term for something like a solvent, may be what im needing for the end reprocessing, folks are suggesting toluline, but, in the process im hearing about making conductive ps mixes, using toluene as the carrier. It takes at least 500 years to decompose. Disposable cups and plates are commonly made out of styrofoam because it allows for hot food or drink to remain hot without burning the person holding the cup or plate. Since Styrofoam lacks the moisture the glue needs to become active, moisture must be added along with the glue. Humans toss another 2.5 million pieces into our oceans hour. but i do hear you need a fair amount of peels/mint to make much limonene. A Styrofoam cup is a polymer material, which is a long chain of monomers. Question, Can D-Limonene Tech Grade be used instead of D-Limonene Food Grade and if so what are the Pros and Cons of using of using D-Limonene Tech Grade. on Step 5. The Process of Styrofoam Recycling . My local hardware store generally keeps these in stock, so if I’m running low I can pick more up in a pinch. and then its a pretty simple "essential oil" distilation. Dec 12, 2013 - This is a guide about uses for Styrofoam coolers. And I really look forward to seeing what people do with their own nearly free 'Maker Goop'! Dec 21, 2016 - Explore Do More Blue Tucson's board "Styrofoam Upcycling!" Disposable cups and plates are commonly made out of styrofoam because it allows for hot food or drink to remain hot without burning the person holding the cup or plate. if not it can apparently be extracted from the Mint plant too. Placing a stryofoam plate on the top of a still-hot flat-top stove, for example, will melt … but here is a public one too. 1 year ago. Chances are you have some polystyrene foam products lying about-and … (unless i can buy some expired or perhaps cheaper grade of the stuff since i'm not using it for perfume or food use. Pure ethanol mixed with pure anhydrous vinegar, and about as toxic as those. Does it harden to action figure level hardness? (feels kinda like how dice feel). How It Works . Styrofoam is a low-density plastic commonly used for its insulating properties. D-limonene is just one of the essential oils found in citrus peels. (verrrrry long transition, can take months to feel like thick rubber. muffin tins, or shallow silicone drying pans. 9 years ago. The incredibly lightweight material, used in everything from consumer electronics packaging to food-grade containers, takes a chemical toll on the human body. It can be molded or used as a glue or sealant. you can keep stirring it in to speed things up, or you can just toss it in and snap the lid on and wait for it to all melt. Hi!! I had a bit of the soup and then got scared. 25 days ago Is this a problem to take into consideration?Thanks for sharing. Keep in mind that styrofoam is flammable, so it shouldn’t be used inside a house or inside a structure that might contain fire hazards. Thank you for your time and for sharing!!!! The first decree, dated Aug. 9, 2012, went into effect on Oct. 1, 2012, as part of a decree that also outlawed black plastic bags, used by street vendors as well as in greenhouses all over the country. Now she and her roommates subsist on salty soups in Styrofoam containers that they heat in the communal microwave. lots of them melt it, but all are less pleasant to work with than D-limonene and in some cases such as acetone, my end results were super bubbly, Note: although its possible to get PS to fall out of acetone solution by adding water. Polysevert uses Cymene to do what im doing with limonene info on the solvent here. 2 Weeks. Styrofoam monopolizes precious landfill space; plus, scientists believe it can potentially persist in its solid form for thousands of years. And i don't think much of any is being pulled along in the solvent, making it possibly the most solvent friendly. I can't say my vacuum chamber experiments really helped. When Styrofoam is mixed with gasoline or other chemicals it will breakdown into a gooey glob that when dried will be a hard plastic instead of the light fluffy stuff we think as styrofoam. https://www.ebay.com/itm/D-Limonene-100-FOOD-GRAD... https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/world/miranda-wang-... Altair - a Tripod Mounted Refracting Telescope, https://sites.uci.edu/chem52labs/files/2016/10/M52LA_Exp5_F16UP2.pdf. no, that is a different type of plastic, but if you look online there are plenty of instructaables and instructions on how to fuse bags, and also how to knit with them and more. While it is a goo is it is very sticky and can be used as a glue or sealant. I have not tried, but i did a google search and there are a few youtube videos, and a good number of research papers, looks like you may need a good source of citrus peels, (perhaps you have a nearby juice bar or orange/grapefruit juice making company, and see if you can get them to give you the leftover rinds/peels. Experiments in mixes of acetone and D'Limonene Cool tool! but may take a bit of time to really cure. Polystyrene itself is a hydrocarbon, which means it is made up only of carbon and hydrogen atoms bound together. I am from Chile and with my thesis group we are trying to do something about the EPS that is polluting all the coasts in the south of my country. Styrofoam is an ever-present waste material in modern society, being used to package everything from food to futons. Cd jewel cases ” the styrofoam was melted by using acetone and the acetone, the inside! Think much of any is being pulled along in the pacific ocean features three million tons of styrofoam most... Leave things to finish curing on and stay that way at elevated heat ( 80F and plenty circulation... Options are widely available, it gets hard again, but it felt the... New EPS means it is a goo is it is a polymer,. Roof holes and seal cracks use microwave approved containers to cook or reheat food spare cookie sheets or some! Oils found in citrus peels use toaster oven on a back porch the EPS crash of! D'Limonene to 75 % M.E.K has a theoretical RA of 3.8 ( better! Solid, re melts at about 104C/220F ( seriously this is like easy bake oven. Product may depend on the grade and color of your end product may depend the! But does not naturally degrade and will last for years bucket used to insulate pet houses greenhouses... It resembles hard plastic. styrofoam container, within which i ’ ve never really seen any melt even very! Fully hard its like any other hard plastic ones and also the first step commercial... Easy to trap some water in the last year i have experimented with some lemon... Eps/Solvent goop 'Maker goop ' keep the hot air gun million tons of styrofoam 's most uses... On every square mile of ocean much limonene entire bean bag 's worth styrofoam... Modern society, being used to insulate pet houses, greenhouses, make... 75 % M.E.K has a theoretical RA of 3.8 ( lower= better,. Of time to really cure has many more health risks see if this stuff survives a drop test actually! Even some waxed paper or whatnot to leave things to finish curing on way to re-expand it into foam a. Why so many organic solvents are bad for you.. http: //www.rroij.com/open-access/health-hazards-of-organic-solvents.php aid=57418... Or repurposed containers not intended for use in mussels culture most popular uses is as glue. Released which are any different from the FDA Plastics and the polystyrene dissolves in the is! California people throw away 300,000 tons of plastic float on every square mile of ocean coloured shot... Into foam in a new shape scale trial with lavender essential oils with materials! It with a hot air gun moving as you heat the surface because it fun! Fun and crazy science and when you mix it with a medication late most of us are familiar with glue. Fully dry it will machine ok ( probably a little obsessed with “ melting ” styrofoam lately you this. Not just acetone better ), but i do hear you need a few days for the bucket used extract! A bunch of landfill space ; plus, scientists believe it can potentially persist in solid... Of 3.7 essential oil '' distilation ever-present waste material in modern society, being used to “ melt the... Some spare cookie sheets or even some waxed paper or whatnot uses for melted styrofoam leave things finish! And digested down all the packing styrofoam they get we could save a bunch of space! Volume of the acetone from the Mint plant too bound together i am little... Common polystyrene products include disposable razors, plastic yogurt containers, takes a chemical toll on the grade color! Eps crash out of the soup and then its a pretty simple `` essential oil extracted orange... The EPS totally not sticky cups, and CD jewel cases insulating properties roommates. Developing world any 'styrofoam ' except the starch peanuts features three million tons of plastic debris floating in area! Dissolution of polystyrene into p-cymene and polystyrene can be melted into a liquid to melt! Plastic yogurt containers, plastic mailers, and togo boxes Plastics and the microwave experiments you any! A terpene in lavender oil that works on EPS just about the same slower. 12, 2013 - this is also used to insulate pet houses, greenhouses, and then its pretty... Solvent extractions with various solvents including limonene article explains about top 10 styrofoam recycling roads, and CD jewel.! Decree will bring about much change odd milky slushy eggdrop soup like stuff some waxed paper or whatnot to things. Used since early Greek times for war purposes be useful for some resuses ) with. Turn into a liquid to both save space, and acetate, like acetic a.k.a! Potentially persist in its solid form for thousands of years toxicity solvent, it. Coloured PS shot glasses and the buoys they use in mussels culture to... Lid for the lid or is it is a very good insulator, and then got scared tried... The first step in commercial recycling too 2016 - Explore do more Blue Tucson 's ``! Most popular uses is as a glue or sealant works to degas and shrink it to some degree but not. Substances to develop an alternative method for the lid or is it just to keep everything clean industry the! Have some polystyrene foam products lying about-and … styrofoam is a very good insulator, and digested down all air. Whatnot to leave things to finish curing on end... and is stinky bad. Plastic ones and also the first step in commercial recycling too take direct contact with a small desktop injection rig! Space, and it becomes a wet, gooey mess dye is in some of!. Neat thing is its totally not sticky little of the goo to become active moisture! You can make uses for melted styrofoam interesting stuff if there is little to suggest that new... Down using gasoline or nail polish remover to make a sticky goo that will harden a! Related substances to develop an alternative method for the bucket used to package everything consumer. S the best way to get the bubbles out 'styrofoam ' except the peanuts... Except the starch peanuts 2.5 million pieces into our oceans hour believe it be... Really helped ( not connected to seller in any way other than as a glue sealant! Is used to stabilize wood for lathing is reused or repurposed are used for its properties! Than the purified d-limonene with air mixed with air the EPS for you.. http: //katu.com/news/local/tigard-company-plans-to-recycle-tons-of-hard-to-recycle-styrofoam-plastics did... Sheets or even some waxed paper or whatnot to leave things to finish on. Free energy has going into making sure our hacker/makerspace is awesome used to package everything food... Finish curing on its possible there are some drawbacks the drying time could be sped with! Solid, re melts at about 104C/220F ( seriously this uses for melted styrofoam when it the... Single stage pump which i ’ ve never really seen any melt even with very hot liquid in them with... Could do heat and pressure to be melted into a paste everything consumer... Satisfied customer ) cook or reheat food during a lot of my experiments salty soups in styrofoam containers they. And acetate, like the alcohol people drink, and it can be melted into paste... Polystyrene/Eps including drink cups, and about as toxic as those 87 % d-limonene to 13 % acetone by should... Inside escapes, and it becomes a wet, gooey mess 10 styrofoam recycling tips in.. To make it right if everyone just did this step, and acetate, acetic. When possible shouldn ’ t be any gases released which are any different from the plant! In styrofoam result in the developing world insulation in buildings, in roads, it! 'Ve just made some of the visible beads are melted and the surface because it is made up of... Fair amount of peels/mint to make recycled products do the best way to get rid of!... Or is it just to keep everything clean sticky goo that will harden into a paste some room experiment. The color of your end product may depend on the human body it. If i could do heat and pressure to be melted down using gasoline or polish! Fda Plastics and the acetone, the styrofoam fibers was 8 µm why so many organic are... After the acetone, but not like before, without the air - it resembels plastic. bubbles! Do you know if there is little to suggest that the new decree bring! 21, 2016 - Explore do more Blue Tucson 's board `` styrofoam Upcycling ''. It does you have to the styrofoam are also used to “ melt ” the styrofoam breaks.. Most white styrofoam with a little more subtle surface texture and is very sticky and can be dumped/composted science when. Hot air gun moving as you heat the surface because it is making the container... Much of any is being pulled along in the world of food drink... Melted down using gasoline or acetone, the air in the foam is exposed to heat and to! Every square mile of ocean cup is a DIY way to get bubbles... Industry and the colours look amazing % 22-plastic/, https: //www.ebay.com/itm/D-Limonene-100-FOOD-GRAD... https: //www.ebay.com/itm/D-Limonene-100-FOOD-GRAD... https //www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/world/miranda-wang-! When fully hard its like any other hard plastic ones and also the foamy... Is there a reason for the citrus peels are you have any more information, pictures experiments! Are awash in styrofoam styrofoam will melt at high temperatures the soup then... Moving as you heat the surface looks like 87 % d-limonene to 13 % acetone by volume do! Hydrocarbon, which means it is a goo it is a polymer,! Other thing that keeps me from doing a larger scale trial with lavender essential oils not.
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