Can be done using various means: acetone, methylethylethane, dichloroethane, tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane. For safety reasons, it is preferable to use tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane for these purposes, since methyl ethyl ketone or dichloroethane are highly toxic. Acetone is not very good for similar reasons, although it is a very affordable solvent. For materials such as ABS, PLA, HIPS, SBS and other types of plastics, solvent is used quite often. However, experts recommend as a more safe alternative D-Limonene product. In addition to being safe, this solvent also has a pleasant citrus aroma.

Safety - important condition when performing post-processing, therefore, it should be borne in mind that a number of substances, such as dichloroethane, are classified as powerful poisons, so they cannot be used. Dichloromethane is considered less toxic, but it also poses risks to human health. Not very toxic tetrahydrofuran is almost never found in the public market.

Warning:

Methods proposed in the article production process require strict adherence to safety measures. Therefore, before performing work, you should carefully read the chapter “Safety precautions when working with solvents”, safety data sheets for chemical products.

Post-processing of plastic: the essence and objectives of the process

In the FDM 3D printing process, we obtain objects with obvious traces of layering (irregularities), as well as various artifacts of the production process (traces of points of contact with fasteners and other visible surface defects). Post-processing serves to smooth out uneven surfaces and remove unnecessary artifacts, after which the processed object will look much better.

Safety rules when working with solvents

Dichloromethane

Since the 19th century, dichloromethane has been classified as relatively non-toxic and very effective means for plastics, which has been proven by numerous laboratory research. But this solvent also has disadvantages. When connecting with alkali metals Dichloromethane may cause a violent explosion. The mild volatility of the product leads to rapid and severe poisoning of the body and damage to a number of important internal organs. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out any work with dichloromethane in the presence of properly functioning exhaust ventilation.

Do not allow the substance to come into contact with fire or sparks, otherwise it may cause a fire. Do not pour dichloromethane into the toilet or sink, as the substance does not mix with water and can damage plastic fittings. In its properties, dichloromethane is very similar to acetone and tetrahydrofuran. It has the same high volatility and hazard class IV. Although the odor of dichloromethane is weaker than that of acetone, ventilation of the room should not be neglected.
D-Limonene

Among the currently known solvents used for working with plastics, D-Limonene is rightfully considered less harmful and relatively safe for humans, provided that all precautions are strictly followed. The citrus aroma makes working with the solvent more pleasant. However, it is necessary to ensure that the room is well ventilated, since prolonged exposure to the substance has a negative effect on the human body. D-Limonene soap base makes it easier to neutralize the reaction of plastic with solvent, since in such a scenario it is enough to use water and soap. The only one significant drawback substance is the fact that it interacts only in HIPS and SBS plastics.

Please note that no matter how relatively safe the solvent is, when working with it you should use gloves and ventilate the room well. Gloves will help prevent skin damage or dehydration.

Processing methods

Dip processing method

Dip processing is the simplest and most quick method, because one cycle lasts a maximum of 3 minutes. An example is immersing iodine in dichloromethane. The immersion process lasted several seconds, and after a few minutes the solvent completely disappeared from the surface of the object. If you want to get a glossy surface, the product can be immersed in the solvent again for about half a second. This will be enough so that the solvent is not absorbed and quickly evaporates, and after the operation you get a glossy surface.

The duration of the process is very short also because for such purposes a bath and acetone are not needed. For ABS, PLA, HIPS and other rare Supplies Dichloromethane is fine. One liter of product is enough for for a long time, the main thing is to maintain the tightness of the container with the solution.

Brush method

In this case, dichloromethane should be applied with a clean brush with bristles made of natural hair. The substance, by the way, is very volatile, is applied until the surface is completely smoothed at the places where the layers come into contact. Dichloromethane is excellent when selective application of solvent is required to leave corners intact and remove obvious defects. Practice shows that this method allows you to achieve the best results in the post-processing process. And, of course, do not forget about observing safety precautions.

In addition to dichloromethane, a substance such as XTC-3D from Smooth-On is very useful for high-quality surface treatment with a brush. This material is protective covering of two elements and serves for high-quality alignment and finishing 3D objects. During the processing process, two types of liquid are mixed, and then the mixture is applied to the surface of the product with a brush. The application procedure must be completed within five minutes. Curing occurs within 4 hours, depending on the mass of the object and temperature. XTC-3D has a number of important properties: It creates a hard, impact-resistant finish that can be sanded, primed or painted.

The manufacturer claims that XTC-3D can be used for products produced using SLA and SLS technology. The substance works excellently with PLA, ABS, Laywoo, polyurethane foam, wood, gypsum, cardboard and even paper. Externally, XTC-3D is similar to ordinary epoxy glue, and the substance does not have an unpleasant, persistent odor.

Steam processing method

PLA vapor processing is similar to the procedure ABS processing acetone. Tetrahydrofuran is used as a processing agent. The PLA product being processed must be placed on an insoluble support. For these purposes you can use aluminum foil or wire mesh. After this, the product is placed in an airtight container. The solvent evaporates when heated and interacts with the surface of the object being treated.

In the photo above, the shark tooth was made on a Makerbot Replicator 2 using brown PLA plastic, then treated with THF and dried.

If you look from above uneven surface, you will understand that during post-processing there was a place where the object came into contact with the support. This suggests that before work you need to think carefully about which part and where to lean the product. Calculating the time for uniform gas distribution inside the chamber becomes more difficult the smaller the volume of the printer's working chamber. The unevenness of the leveling process can be explained precisely by this reason.

Manual polishing method

The manual polishing procedure is familiar to many, and if you do not want to use the steam processing method, then you can pay attention to this quite simple and effective method. The solvent will have to be applied to a piece of fabric and polished by hand. For this procedure, use a white or undyed lint-free cloth. Otherwise, PLA particles will remain on the fabric, and then you will not be able to use it again.

The use of fabric does not exempt you from observing basic safety precautions. The room should be well ventilated, and nitrile or neoprene gloves should be worn. The fabric needs to be wetted with dichloromethane and after that you can start polishing. The result of the work is determined various factors: how the movements were performed, what forces were applied, and even how stiff the fabric was. Polishing is usually done in a circular motion unless otherwise noted.

After completing the polishing procedure, the product must be allowed to dry. In this case, the substance will completely evaporate.

The photo was taken with macro photography, the depth of field is shallow, but the main focus is highlighted in order to see the details. The middle part of the tooth was polished. The results were very good. For comparison, pay attention to the left side, where print marks are visible.

It should be remembered that the size of the object and the printing parameters determine the amount of polishing effort. How smaller product and the higher the print quality, the correspondingly less effort.

Other post-processing methods

There are many other post-processing methods. For example, ABS plastic can be treated well with regular sandpaper. You can achieve smooth surface using several types of sandpaper and a fine sanding sponge. At the same time, do not forget about the thickness of the walls, otherwise you will rub a noticeable hole in the product. Sandpaper or a file is usually good for removing support marks or noticeable imperfections. Care must be taken when processing PLA plastic. But you should not grind with a drill, grinder or just long grinding. Friction will lead to an increase in the temperature of the treated area, the plastic will soften and begin to roll off. The quality of the surface will only suffer. Therefore, when processing products made of PLA plastic, you can use special resins for surface treatment (like XtC) or use solvents. Glue the parts fromPLA plastic can also be made using dichloromethane.

Good luck!

Greetings!

On the pages of thematic resources, questions still often appear about how to process and glue this or that plastic. Moreover, the answers sometimes cause bewilderment. Apparently, there are a lot of myths and confusion in this matter.

In this regard, I decided to write a short educational program on basic plastics and solvents, especially since I personally smelled almost all the chemicals that will be discussed.

So, let's go!

Dichloroethane

You can hear different opinions about dichloroethane. Some say that it is very poisonous, others claim that they have worked with it without gloves all their lives. Apparently, this is due to the fact that dichloroethanes come in different varieties.

1,2-dichloroethane (ethylene chloride) - dangerous toxin!(second class). 1,1-dichloroethane (ethylidene chloride) is 5 times less toxic, but also far from being an air freshener (hazard class 3). Personally, I do not recommend checking for yourself which dichloroethane was sold to you.

I mention this chemical only because it is quite common and cheap and is sold in small vials, so it can help out in a critical situation when there is no more at hand. suitable option. Don't forget about safety precautions!

Dichloromethane(methylene chloride, methylene chloride)

Colorless volatile liquid with a faint odor. The best option for working with PLA. It has the same hazard class as acetone - fourth. Cheap, but difficult to obtain at retail in the provinces.

For reference:

PLA is also soluble in tetrahydrofuran and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (hazard class 3).

Acetone

Acetone does not dissolve PLA as we need, but with prolonged contact the plastic swells, warps and softens. This can be used if the nozzle is clogged when printing PLA. When soaked in dichloromethane, plastic turns into slime, which can be difficult to clean completely.

But after soaking in acetone, the softened PLA will be removed from the nozzle in one lump, along with the blockage.

I came across opinions online that PLA dissolves in limonene and high-octane gasoline such as Galoshi. It is not true! PLA does not interact with these substances in any way.

Again, dichloroethane and dichloromethane.

Acetone- I think it needs no introduction.

Ethyl acetate(4th hazard class) - not as smelly as acetone (rather even aromatic). It is more convenient to work with it, because... it does not evaporate as quickly as acetone and dichloromethane, but it can be difficult to find.

Dichloroethane, dichloromethane.

Limonene(d-limonene) is an oily liquid with a strong citrus odor. Expensive and difficult to obtain in the provinces. Compared to our other solvents, it evaporates very slowly, so it is convenient to work with, but you need to get used to it, because... it works for a long time. For example, after dipping for too long, the model will not “float” immediately.

The safest of our chemicals.

SBS (Filamentarno, Watson)

Here I will simply quote information from the Filamentarno website. Well done guys, they sorted everything out before me.

Solvent(nefras) GOST 10214-78

It dissolves perfectly and gives T-Soft series plastics a unique transparency similar to glass. Excellent fusion and leveling of layers. After processing, the plastic does not become cloudy. Solvent treatment is recommended in a dry, well-ventilated area.

D-limonene

Slowly and gently dissolves plastic, requires longer drying with warm air (using a hairdryer). IN pure form(citrus terpene) does not cloud the product when it dries. After processing it leaves a pleasant smell of tangerines on the plastic :)

Dichloromethane

Prototyper dissolves well; when dry, the plastic becomes cloudy, acquiring the effect of foggy glass. It evaporates quickly and has virtually no odor.

Safety precautions

For all of the plastics mentioned, there are solvents with a hazard class of 4 or lower. It's better to use them. These are mostly volatile and flammable substances, so work away from fire, ventilate, read the safety rules on the label.

In Ob it costs around 600 rubles.

Polypropylene gloves are suitable to protect your hands, because... polypropylene is resistant to all our solvents (therefore you can use polypropylene containers, syringes, etc.). But you can also use ordinary household ones, just be careful. Upon contact with dichloromethane, they begin to degrade, but not very quickly.

For example, it is quite possible to wet a cloth and walk over a medium-sized model.

It seems like I haven't forgotten anything. Thank you for your attention.

Instructions

Dissolving plastics is usually carried out 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, they naturally soften when a small amount of pressure is sufficient for gluing. In addition to solvents, solutions of bondable polymers can be used for this purpose.

Before joining, prepare the surface of the plastic by degreasing it and sanding it with fine sandpaper.

Apply the glue so that softening occurs throughout work surface, to a depth that ensures strong articulation. Apply the adhesive using a syringe, brush, spray or dip method.

Press down the parts to be glued and secure them. Apply pressure on the surface until a solid adhesive layer is formed.

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

You can also prepare 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 working with dichloroethane as it is highly toxic. The room must have good ventilation.

Tip 2: How to metallize plastic at home

On industrial enterprises Plastic is metalized most often by vacuum deposition. This method is not available at home. The need to obtain metallized plastic sometimes arises, especially among those who are interested in radio electronics. There are two quite available methods metallization

Thermal method with glue and foil

Take a sheet of plastic and wipe it with solvent. Also degrease the foil on the side that you will glue. Lubricate the surfaces of plastic and foil with BF-2 or BF-4 glue and leave for as long as indicated in the instructions. Place 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 using clamps.

Place the structure in an oven preheated to approximately 100°C and leave for about 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the dough and leave it to cool overnight. After that you can pay. If you don’t have an oven, you can use an iron by pressing the workpiece against it from the foil side using clamps.

You can also use soap solution or shampoo to degrease.

Option with copper sulfate - galvanic bath

Mix 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 it dry.

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

Dilute with rain or battery water copper sulfate(you can buy it at a farm store). Pour the solution into a dielectric glass or plastic container, or into a regular plastic basin. Attach the wire to one edge of the workpiece using a paper clip or a screw and nut. Attach the other end of the wire to the battery terminal marked with a “-” sign.

Copper scrap tie together copper wire. Connect the wire to the second terminal of the battery. All fastenings must be above the mortar level. Turn on the current and wait until your plastic plate is covered with an even layer of red copper. This method is used for metallization of complex surfaces with arbitrary curvature. For example, in this way you can make an antenna mirror for mobile device communications.

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

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

Materials for production

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

• container made of glass or metal;
• 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 polystyrene foam in acetone. For this purpose they 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. You can make liquid plastic with your own hands by dropping each piece into a container and waiting for it to completely dissolve.
4. Polystyrene foam 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 this, 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 complete hardening of the mass lasts 20-30 hours. Consequently, the part being manufactured cannot be removed from the mold within this period of time.

Apply the substance with a rubber spatula small size. Movements should be smooth. Liquid plastic must be stretched over the surface to be treated. If you use it to fill cracks, it is better to use brushes with hard bristles. 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 product has long been sold in finished form. It only needs to be heated in a water bath or in special equipment. A hair dryer is also often used for this.

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

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

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

Precautionary measures

Acetone is a very dangerous liquid that has an extremely negative effect on the human body. Therefore, it is allowed to make liquid plastic with your own hands only with strict adherence to following measures precautions:

1. Before working with acetone, you must carefully study the instructions for its use. It is indicated on the container label.
2. Special sealed safety glasses should be used. They will protect your eyes in case of liquid drops and vapors. Working without them can cause serious eye injury.
3. Acetone is toxic, so it should only be used in a well-ventilated area. In this case, it is necessary to use respiratory protection.
4. This is a highly flammable product. Therefore, liquid plastic is made with your own hands away from sources of open fire. Smoking is strictly prohibited when performing work.
5. Residues of acetone must not be poured into the sewer 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 finishing

The product has been used for finishing 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. Smooth surface has a pleasant shine and retains its characteristics for many years.

Liquid plastic in window work

Most newly installed plastic windows there are gaps in the connection area. To exclude such a phenomenon, all details window design, which are connected to each other, are treated with the described substance. After drying, it creates an elastic, sealed film on the surface. Applying liquid plastic to windows with your own hands is possible after making the material according to the above method.

Anti-corrosion agent

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