Sometimes acetone is used for finishing (polishing, steaming and even gluing) ABS products. With the same success, methyl ethyl ketone and dichloroethane (both highly toxic) are used for these purposes by some. But tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane cope best with such tasks, with only one difference - tetrahydrofuran is a precursor and is prohibited for free sale. The solvent is universal and suitable for all types of plastic: ABS, PLA, HIPS, SBS and some others. For smoothing and melting HIPS and SBS, the safest solvent known to us, D-Limonene, is used, moreover, it is harmless, it still smells of delicious oranges. Often used as a flavoring agent.

Remember: dichloroethane is a strong poison. Dichloromethane is less toxic. Tetrahydrofuran - relatively non-toxic, but not freely sold.

When working with this substance, and any chemistry, you need to take serious safety measures. This method is one of several possible processing products.

A WARNING:

We describe methods that CAN be used, but which require reasonable precautions. Please read the Safety Precautions chapter, read the chemical safety data sheet, and we will assume that we have warned you.

Why do you need post-processing?

As a result of finishing, irregularities at the junctions of the layers that occur during 3D printing (using the method of layer-by-layer fusing of threads), various kinds of process artifacts (like points of contact with fasteners) and other minor flaws are smoothed out. The part ends up looking less "layered" and more neat. Look at the photos below or google it.

dichloromethane

You can get more information, for example, on Wikipedia. Note: Although it is the least poisonous of the haloalkanes, care must be taken when handling as it is highly volatile and can cause acute poisoning. Work should be carried out with working exhaust ventilation. As far as we know, it is the least toxic solvent for PLA plastic, but great care must be taken when working with it, as the long-term effect of its exposure is extremely dangerous. Flammable, so avoid contact of its vapors with open flames or sparks. The same applies to acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and the like.

Its important property is high volatility. Hazard class IV, same as acetone. Smells much weaker than acetone. All work should preferably be carried out in a well-ventilated area!

Dichloromethane should not be poured down toilets, sinks or other plumbing fixtures, it does not mix with water and plastic pipes in your sewer can be at risk.

D-limonene

Less harmful, we can say safe solvent D-Limonene, strongly smells of citrus. But it only works on HIPS and SBS plastics. We recommend working with it in a well-ventilated area. D-Limonene has an oil base, so to neutralize the reaction of plastic and solvent, they must be washed with soap.

Under whatever circumstances you work with solvents, you should only do this with gloves, because they can quickly dehydrate the skin, which is potentially dangerous. When using strong solvents, it is easy to burn the skin. At the same time, gloves should not be latex (it corrodes latex), but nitrile or neoprene.

The easiest way is immersion processing

Very simple and fast processing, one printout takes no more than 3 minutes. We immersed Yoda in dichloromethane for 1-5 seconds, and over the next 1-2 minutes, the solvent completely evaporated from the surface. To make a glossy surface, dip the part into the solvent for the last time for 0.5 seconds, it will not have time to be absorbed and will immediately evaporate, a candy gloss is provided.

Very fast, no need for a bath, no need for acetone. Dichloromethane is versatile for PLA, ABS, HIPS and possibly many other exotic materials as well. A liter lasts a long time. The tightness of the container for storing the solution is very important.

Brush application

Apply dichloromethane with any clean natural brush until the layers are flattened. This dissolver is extremely volatile, so you won't have to wait long for it to dry. The obvious advantage of this method is that solvent can be applied selectively, leaving sharp corners untouched, and the most noticeable print defects can be treated more carefully. The best processing results are achieved in this way. Take precautions, breathing chemicals is not safe!

Pair processing

The procedure for steaming PLA is essentially the same as for ABS and acetone. Here tetrahydrofuran is used. The PLA object to be processed is placed on an insoluble substrate (aluminum foil, wire mesh, wooden stand, etc.) and placed in a sealed container. When heated, the solvent will begin to evaporate and interact with the surface of the object.

For example, this shark tooth was printed on a Makerbot Replicator 2 with brown PLA, steamed with tetrahydrofuran, and dried.

Notice the unevenness at the top. Here the object touched the support during finishing. Therefore, it is always important to think about what to attach to what part. Also keep in mind that the smaller the volume of your chamber, the more difficult it is to choose the right time so that the gas inside is evenly distributed. Because of this problem, the alignment itself can turn out to be uneven.

Now, a few words about the additional security measures that we promised to mention. All procedures should be outdoors, and tightly close the flask, jar, bottle or other container. Wash the inside of the cabinet before and after use. In short, you need to work carefully and wisely so as not to accidentally burn or explode something.

hand polished

You do not like processing in pairs? Can be polished by hand by applying solvent to a piece of fabric.

The cloth should be white (not dyed), lint-free and used only for this purpose, because PLA will accumulate on it and it is no longer suitable for anything else.

When you have found a suitable cloth, put on nitrile or neoprene gloves, go to a well-ventilated area or outside, and dampen the cloth with dichloromethane. And now with this wet cloth just polish the part. The final result will depend on the direction of your movements, the applied force and the texture of the cloth, i.e. how tough she is. If there are no special reservations, it is best to polish in a circular motion.

Then the object should dry (so that excess dichloromethane evaporates from the surface) - and you're done.

Here is a sample of a polished shark tooth that was printed on a Makerbot Replicator 2 using white PLA.

These photos are in focus. They were taken with macro photography, the depth of field is relatively shallow, so that only the main focus stands out, and you can see the details, although the image is blurred at the edges.

Only the middle of the tooth was polished, what stands out. The photo is not very clear, but it is a very smooth polished surface. Compare it to the left edge, which has not been polished, where you can even see the layers of the printout.

Obviously, the smaller your object, the higher the print resolution (if everything is properly calibrated), the less time you have to spend on fine-tuning to get a well-polished, smooth surface.

In the photo, you can also see that the treated surface is slightly discolored. But here it is in skillful hands. The rag was not quite white, it had some kind of color pattern on it, and the paint reacted with the solvent and at the same time with the plastic.

Addendum: Other Post-Processing Techniques

It should also be noted that PLA is easily finished with ordinary sandpaper. In some cases, it is quite enough to get the surface as it should, especially if you only need to remove traces of the support or similar defects. Stripping is very useful also before chemical treatment. Just go over the problem areas and especially large artifacts with sandpaper, and then proceed as described above. This will save both time, and reagent, and fine-tuning will be more accurate, without significant geometric distortions.

How to glue parts from PLA?

PLA parts can also be glued with a variety of adhesives, we've done well with epoxy and Super Glue, which is really just ethyl cyanoacrylate.

Good luck! Safe work! Smooth printing!

material that is highly resistant to many chemicals and fire.

PVC has a relatively low frost resistance (-15 degrees).

The heat resistance indicator is +65 degrees.

We note several main advantages of the material:

1. does not dissolve in water

2. resistant to the interaction of acids, alcohols, alkaline solutions and mineral oils

3. compatible with some plasticizers.

4. has low flammability and high resistance to oxidation

5. easily soluble in the following substances: ethers, ketones, hydrocarbons (both chlorinated and aromatic)

We are especially interested in the fifth point: the solubility of PVC, namely with what substances this can be done.

Interesting! How to glue PVC panels on liquid nails,

Below are the best means for dissolving PVC.

Solvent for PVC

Based on the above, we conclude that ketones, ethers and hydrocarbons are ideal for dissolution.

This means that it is necessary to use tools that include one of the presented components.

Take away such funds. There is no end in sight to the variety of prices and varieties. We chose two that meet the price-quality ratio.

TetraHydroFuran (THF) is a colorless liquid chemical substance with a characteristic ether odor. Found its application in organic synthesis.

Excellent for dissolving PVC to a paste. Can be purchased at any specialized store.

Cyclohexanone is a clear oily liquid with a pronounced smell of mint and acetone.

The substance in question is a typical representative of ketones, which, based on what was written earlier, is well suited for dissolving PVC.

An interesting video dissolving foam in acetone

Plastic is a universal material. It has found wide application in the manufacture of various components and parts in both industrial and household appliances. Products from it are used in the design of interiors of residential premises and offices.

A variety of material, called liquid plastic, allows you to create a wide variety of shapes and sizes of crafts. This makes it possible to implement original design solutions. How to make liquid plastic at home?

Materials for manufacturing

To make liquid plastic with your own hands, you need to prepare the following:

• glass or metal container;
• acetone;
• Styrofoam.

In this case, the amount of acetone used depends on the desired volume of the finished product.

If you want to make liquid plastic with your own hands, the recipe for its preparation will be based on dissolving foam in acetone. To do this, use It is a packaging container for various household and electronic equipment.

How to make liquid plastic with your own hands

Step by step recipe the preparation of the named material looks like this:

1. Open the container with acetone and pour the liquid into the glass container so that its level from the bottom is approximately 1 cm.
2. Polystyrene foam must be broken into many small pieces, each of which will be easily placed under the thickness of the solvent.
3. Do-it-yourself liquid plastic can be made by dropping each piece into a container and waiting for it to completely dissolve.
4. Styrofoam should be added to the container until it stops melting. Then you need to wait 5-10 minutes for the unused acetone to evaporate.
5. After that, a viscous mass is formed at the bottom of the container, which can be used to produce a variety of products.

Knowing how to make liquid plastic, remember that the complete hardening of the mass lasts 20-30 hours. Therefore, the manufactured part cannot be removed from the mold during this period of time.

The substance should be applied with a small rubber spatula. The movements must be smooth. Liquid plastic must be stretched on the surface to be treated. If it is used to fill gaps, it is better to use brushes with a hard bristle in the work. They need to "push" the mixture into the gaps. After the plastic has hardened, it is recommended to apply another layer of the substance.

The described tool has long been sold ready-made. It only needs to be heated in a water bath or in special equipment. Also, a building hair dryer is often used for this.

As a rule, liquid plastic is produced in dense packages. Its terms and conditions of storage are strict. The temperature in the room where it is located should not fall below 15 degrees. Otherwise, the tool will lose performance:

• viscosity;
• elasticity;
• hardness after hardening;
• practicality;
• durability.

The cost of liquid plastic is quite high. That is why it is better to do it yourself.

Precautionary measures

Acetone is a very dangerous liquid that has an extremely negative effect on the human body. Therefore, do-it-yourself liquid plastic is allowed to be made only with strict observance of the following precautions:

1. Before working with acetone, you must carefully study the instructions for its use. It is listed on the container label.
2. Special sealed goggles should be used. They will protect your eyes in case of drops and fumes of liquid. Working without them can cause serious eye injury.
3. Acetone is toxic and should only be used in a well ventilated area. In this case, it is necessary to use respiratory protection equipment.
4. It is highly flammable. Therefore, do-it-yourself liquid plastic is made away from sources of open fire. Smoking is strictly prohibited during work.
5. Residues of acetone must not be drained into the sewerage system.
6. At the end of the process, as well as after pouring the finished plastic into molds, you must thoroughly wash your hands.

Applications of liquid plastic in decoration

For decoration, the product has been used for a long time. After its application, an elastic film appears on the treated surface. It is highly waterproof and UV resistant. The material protected by such a film is not afraid of exposure to aggressive detergents. The smooth surface has a pleasant sheen and retains its characteristics for many years.

Liquid plastic in window works

Most of the newly installed plastic windows in the connection area have gaps. To exclude such a phenomenon, all parts of the window structure that are interconnected are treated with the described substance. After drying, it creates an elastic sealed film on the surface. Do-it-yourself application of liquid plastic on windows is possible after making the material according to the above method.

Means in anti-corrosion treatment

Liquid plastic is also characterized by a high degree of adhesion to the treated metal surface. This property of the substance began to be used in the anti-corrosion treatment of steel. Liquid plastic is applied to the surface without prior priming. It dries out after a few hours. After that, a film is formed on the surface, which will protect the material from rust.

In everyday life, many faced such a problem as broken plastic products. These items rarely lend themselves to any kind of repair with their own hands, it is more reliable to glue them. You can decide how to glue plastic tightly by considering the best adhesives for various types and gluing technology.

Glue for plastic (click to enlarge)

Determine the type of plastic

Before gluing plastic, it is important to first determine the type of material of the broken item. This is important to do in order to better glue the plastic and not spoil the product - many adhesives are solvents for plastic parts.

Most often, the manufacturer labels its products with a recycling symbol, by which you can determine the type of plastic. It is a triangle with traced arrows on the edges, inside there are numbers from 1 to 7.

Another designation of the brand is the letter symbols inside or next to the triangle. Knowing these designations, it is possible to determine the type of plastic, after which the adhesive for plastic is suitable for it.

Marking

1 or PET is polyethylene terephthalate. The main area of ​​application is food packaging. It is used in the manufacture of artificial fibers, plastic packaging for liquid foods, films.

2 or HDPE - high density polyethylene using low pressure technology. It is used in the production of shrink film and packaging bags.

3 or PVC - polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used in the manufacture of linoleum and plastic windows.

Watch the video to find out more:

4 or LDPE - low density polyethylene using high pressure technology. Food plastic, bags, wrappers and bottles, greenhouse film, packaging containers, toys for children, pipes are made from it.

5 or PP - polypropylene, due to its inertness and heat resistance (it can be kept under hot steam and boiled), is widely used in the production of food packaging. The material is widely used in medicine (disposable syringes, catheters), in the production of household appliances, heat-resistant dishes and plastic pipes for hot water supply.

6 or PS - polystyrene. Disposable tableware (cups for foodstuffs), internal plastic lining of refrigeration devices are made from this type. When foaming expanded polystyrene, a porous insulating material (polystyrene) is obtained, which is widely used in construction and production.

7 or O (Other) - materials that are not recyclable (combine a combination of foil, paper and polymeric materials) or not included in the previous groups.

One way to determine the brand of plastic in the absence of a sign is a burn test. Each material burns in its own way and with a different smell, from which its type can be determined.

Labeling of adhesives

In addition to plastic, adhesives for plastics are marked with symbols, although this designation rarely coincides with recycling marking symbols. To know how to glue plastics, the following letters are affixed to the adhesives to indicate the materials to be glued:

Designation for plastics (click to enlarge)

• polycarbonate - PC;
• acrylonitrile copolymer - ABS;
• polypropylene - PP;
• organic glass - PMMA;
• polyethylene - PE;
• polyvinyl chloride - PVC;
• polystyrene - PS;
• polyamide - RA 66;
• polyurethane - PUR.

Often it does not make sense to look for markings on the packaging of the adhesive, it is enough to study the instructions in Russian, which clearly explains what types of materials the adhesive is intended for and how to glue the plastic.

Types of adhesives

Plastic products have a lot of types and are widely used in everyday life, so gluing plastic can be done with a wide range of adhesives and different methods.

One of the gluing methods is softening the surfaces of the parts to be glued with a suitable solvent (dichloroethane for plexiglass or polystyrene), after joining the seam is reliably soldered. In a similar way, you can prepare glue with your own hands by dissolving plastic small chips.

Types of good plastic adhesives (click to enlarge)

Liquid

Popular household adhesives are easy to use and come in two forms: solvent-based or water-based. The principle of operation of the first is as follows: water or solvent evaporates from the glue applied to the top of the plastic parts, the glue seam dries with further hardening, due to which the parts hold tightly.

These adhesives can bond plastic to porous materials that allow air to pass through, otherwise the water and solvent will not evaporate and the adhesive will not cure.

In everyday life and industry, a good liquid PVA glue is known, which is widely used in furniture production for reliable gluing of artificial films on wooden surfaces; in the construction industry, linoleum is often glued to PVA. Other liquid adhesives are made on the basis of rubber resins, in this case the solvents are methyl acetate, alcohol, acetone.

Contact

The name was obtained because of the principle of gluing: before sticking plastic to plastic, the surfaces of both glued products are smeared with glue and after 10-15 minutes they are firmly pressed against each other. There are two types: with a hardener and without a hardener, the best known brands are BF-2 (4), Moment, rubber glue.

On the video you will learn how to use contact adhesives:

Adhesives include toxic materials, so at home, before gluing plastic, it is necessary to ensure the ventilation of the room.

Reactive Adhesives

There are one-component and two-component types. The former, when applied to the surface to be bonded, harden very quickly from interaction with oxygen or water vapor. These types include the well-known "Second", "Superglue" and other analogues capable of sealing to obtain a rigid and durable seam.

Two-component have a hardener and fixer, which are located separately from each other. Before being used for gluing, they are connected and after being applied to the surfaces to be glued, under the influence of environmental conditions, they gradually begin to harden and glue the parts. Their basis is various resins, the most famous types are polyurethane, epoxy, polyester.

Instruction

The dissolution of plastics is carried out, as a rule, for gluing several parts made from the same type of plastic. These include plastics based on polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, etc.

Use solvents. When the surfaces to be bonded are treated with a solvent, their natural softening occurs when a slight pressure is sufficient for gluing. In addition to solvents, solutions of adhesive polymers can be used for this purpose.

Before joining, prepare the surface of the plastic, for which it is degreased and treated with fine sandpaper.

Apply glue so that softening occurs over the entire working surface, to a depth that provides a strong joint. Apply adhesive by syringe, brush, spray or dip.

Press down the parts to be glued and fix them. Apply pressure to the surface until a hard adhesive layer is formed.

Recently, many new solvents have been created - no less effective than dichloroethane, but, unlike it, completely safe. By the way, such glue can be prepared in by mixing plastic shavings with a solvent. To do this, pour plastic chips, shavings or pieces of ABS plastic into a metal or glass jar, mix with WD-40 solvent, in an amount about 2 cm above the level of the plastic. Mix everything and cover the mixture for a day, then mix it again. If the glue is thick, add thinner.

You can also prepare an adhesive based on methylene chloride. This will only take 4 hours. You should know that a certain type of plastic has its own solvent. So, for example, for celluloid it is acetone, - benzene, and for organic glass - chloroform.

Helpful advice

Use caution when handling dichloroethane as it is highly toxic. The room must have good ventilation.

Tip 2: How to metallize plastic at home

In industrial enterprises, plastic is most often metallized by vacuum deposition. At home, this method is not available. The need to get metallized plastic sometimes arises, especially for those who are fond of radio electronics. There are two quite affordable methods of metallization.

Thermal method with glue and foil

If you need to make a printed circuit board or metallize another flat surface, you can heat the plastic to the foil. A conventional oven will help. For this you will need:
- a piece of plastic;
- copper foil;
- glue BF-2 or BF-4;
- solvent;
- clamps;
- copper or wooden plates;
- oven or iron.

Take a sheet of plastic and wipe it down with solvent. Also degrease the foil on the side you will be gluing. Lubricate the surfaces of plastic and foil with BF-2 or BF-4 glue and hold for as long as indicated in the instructions. Lay a sheet of foil over the plastic. Press down so that there are no air bubbles between the surfaces. Clamp the workpiece between pieces of wood or metal with clamps.

Place the structure in an oven preheated to about 100 ° C and leave for about 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the workpiece and leave it to cool for a day. After that you can pay. In the absence of an oven, you can use the iron by pressing the workpiece from the side of the foil to it with the help of clamps.

For degreasing, you can also use a soap solution or shampoo.

Copper sulphate option - galvanic bath

To metallize a surface in this way, you will need:
- glue BF or nitrocellulose;
- aluminum powder;
- rectified alcohol;
- sulfuric acid;
- copper scrap;
- car battery;
- copper wire;
- plastic or enamel basin;
- paper clip.

Mix the glue with aluminum powder to the consistency of liquid sour cream. Apply a layer of the resulting substance to the surface of the plastic and let dry.

If the glue is too thick, dilute it with a little alcohol.

Dilute copper sulfate with rain or battery water (you can buy it at an agricultural store). Pour the solution into a glass or plastic dielectric dish, or into a regular plastic bowl. Attach the wire to one edge of the workpiece with a paper clip or screw and nut. Attach the other end of the wire to the battery terminal marked "-".

Tie copper scrap together with copper wire. Connect the wire to the second terminal of the battery. All fasteners must be above the mortar level. Turn on the current and wait for your plastic plate to be covered with a uniform layer of red copper. This method is used for metallization of complex surfaces with arbitrary curvature. For example, an antenna mirror for a mobile communication device can be made in this way.