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Topic: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

I found this chart showing some common plastic types you have at home as well as how many times it can be recycled. But it does not tell me temperatures for extrusion or printing.
Anyone welcome to post any information on any plastic you have and know and please post it here.
At some point things will get summarized into one big chart.
Thanks !

http://www.soliforum.com/misc.php?action=pun_attachment&item=5927&preview&secure_str=6792f18

Oh yeah, can someone tell me why images not shown ?

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

1 through 6 are not suitable for printing, 3 is dangerous to even extrude. On top of that, there are many, many sub-varieties of each.

Leave the recycling to the pros.

Your image isn't shown because it isn't a valid link to an image. You need to use an image hosting site. Try www.imgur.com.

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

isnt 5 also used to make barrels and little tike toys? wish it could be extruded got a few things I'd like to make with it. also some type of rubber/silicone for vibration or furniture pads. Nylon like teflon are also very hazardous fumes. yeah most on that list we cant use.
I thought PLA was softer than it is

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

Printedsolid.com carries nylon and elastomer   filaments. caution special materials may require some mods but Matt can explain and advise.
Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

WOW what a cool site! also has lots of hot ends etc

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

6 (edited by Barafu Albino 2014-08-09 08:56:27)

Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

If you feel the urge to recycle something, stick with polycarbonate. Easy to distinguish (when melts, has specific pleasant smell), really transparent unless colored, easy to grind (kitchen grinder will do, unlike ABS and other soft plasticks), many people already print with it.

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

I'm still trying to decide on which printer to get, so I have no experience with printing or extruding filament.  But the thought of recycling plastics into a print filament seems ideal. 

So, I'm curious as to what the issues/problems are with using recycled plastics for printing?  I have read enough to know that #3 PVC is dangerous, but that's not the case with the others is it?  I assume they can be extruded to filament OK & are safe, but printing is the problem for some reason. 

Can anyone elaborate?  Is it a problem with temp, flow, layer adhesion, bed adhesion, warping, shrinking, bad physical properties of an end product (brittle, weak, won't hold shape, etc.), or something else?

It just seems like such a waste to be throwing all this plastic away when it could be used for something useful.

SD Press
Modeling software: 123D Design

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

Most consumer plastics (bottles are made of HDPE or PET) have extremely high linear coefficients of thermal expansion, for starters. This leads to insane warp.

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

Thanks for that info, that's the kind of thing I wanted to know. 

How about #5 polypropylene?  I happen to have access to quite a bit of it, which is why I was curious in the first place.

SD Press
Modeling software: 123D Design

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Re: How to Identify plastic and its exctussion temperature ?

PP has a thermal expansion coeff of 2-3x ABS, which is already 2-3x PLA.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/linea … -d_95.html

Folks complain about ABS warping. PP would be a whole new level above that - you'd definitely want a heated enclosure. People have tried extruding and printing PP before, they posted about it her on the forum. Keep in mind there are many, many varieties of PP, some would be more suitable for 3D printing than others.

A lot of plastics also don't like to stick to anything - PP and HDPE come to mind. That makes it hard to print when it won't stick to the build plate.