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Pellets for ABS repairs • Tech Talk

May. 06, 2024

Pellets for ABS repairs • Tech Talk

Post by extremeodd » Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:33 am

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylonit ... ne_styrene

wikipedia wrote: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) (chemical formula (C8H8)x·(C4H6)y·(C3H3N)z) is a common thermoplastic polymer. Its glass transition temperature is approximately 105 °C (221 °F).[2] ABS is amorphous and therefore has no true melting point.

Your numbers are on point but you have the terms slightly confused.

I should clarify since my posts weren't super clear: The plastic that I was talking about is NOT ABS, it is Polycaprolactone

It was an attempt to help inform Corkster52 and WingAdmin that by using those pellets as ABS could cause problems, as it's properties, have some drastic differences compared to ABS.

wikipedia wrote: Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester with a low melting point of around 60 °C and a glass transition temperature of about −60 °C.

PCL has many applications in the hobbyist market where it is known as Plastimake, NiftyFix, Protoplastic, InstaMorph, Polymorph, Shapelock, ReMoldables, Plastdude or TechTack. It has physical properties of a very tough, nylon-like plastic that softens to a putty-like consistency at only 60 °C, easily achieved by immersing in hot water.[7] PCL's specific heat and conductivity are low enough that it is not hard to handle by hand at this temperature. This makes it ideal for small-scale modeling, part fabrication, repair of plastic objects, and rapid prototyping where heat resistance is not needed. Though softened PCL readily sticks to many other plastics when at higher temperature, if the surface is cooled, the stickiness can be minimized while still leaving the mass pliable.

When I describe using a torch to heat the repair spot, this is in the context of using PCL and honestly, I did that for a quick test. Never use a torch of any sort to do ABS repairs, while it will get the surface gooey enough to do a repair with PCL, it'll also burn the plastic some while doing so which degrades it and produces very toxic fumes. Not to mention that molten plastic can be a terrible burn hazard since it tends to stick quite viciously.

If you check out the link below you can see the two materials compared by their various properties. ABS is the top value in each comparison.
https://www.makeitfrom.com/compare/Acry ... actone-PCL

With all of this said, Polymorph, Polly Plastic, etc have their uses for small repairs like the one mentioned in this thread. For gouges, surface cracks, and screwholes, this material, in my opinion, would beat out ABS nearly every single time. There are no dangerous solvents or toxic adhesives that are needed to use it and you could patch, sand, prime, and paint a repair in 20 mins VS minimum 24 hours for ABS slurry to dry.

1: Toss a handful of pellets into a cup of near-boiling water (along with any dye pellets. Its always cheaper to use the 'white' base with some coloring pellets, a little color goes a long way. Carbon can also be used to dye the plastic black along with basically any other powdered dye/colorant)
2: Use a heat gun to melt the surface of the area you want to repair NOTE: Having the surface of the ABS melted/gooey is key. Polymorph WILL NOT stick to cold ABS EVER.
3: Remove the now melted polymorph from the water. It will start out extremely soft like hot silly putty but as it cools it will become stiffer, try to apply it before it cools down too much. If it does cool down too much, simply reheat it. It can be reheated/reused an infinite number of times.
3.5: Ensure the ABS you are about to repair has it's surface melted/gooey
4: Press/smear the polymorph into the crack/hole you are trying to repair ensuring you get it in as deeply as possible.
5: Remove any excess material once you are confident the spot is filled in and smooth out the repair with your finger (or any object that has been warmed up to about 100f, otherwise it'll harden on contact)r as it cools (be mindful of the hot ABS, it WILL hurt).
6: Once fully cooled go ahead and sand/paint to your hearts content.

If you need to adjust the filler at all, just hit it with a heat gun (not for as long as the ABS, you should be able to manipulate it with your bare hands).

Again, PCL would only be good for fairly small repairs. It would never be good for stuff like reenforcing luggage racks or spanning large gaps (unless used very thick) because it is not as strong as ABS and compared to ABS is far more flexible. It'll stretch up to 300% before breaking where ABS only stretch up to 50%.

If you decide to use PCL in a slurry with ABS, take heed that the resulting product will more than likely behave somewhat differently compared to a pure ABS/MEK slurry.

This doesn't invalidate ANYTHING said by raven41951, I just wanted to add to the discussion and clarify a few things about PCL plastics.

Your numbers are on point but you have the terms slightly confused.I should clarify since my posts weren't super clear: The plastic that I was talking about is NOT ABS, it isIt was an attempt to help inform Corkster52 and WingAdmin that by using those pellets as ABS could cause problems, as it's properties, have some drastic differences compared to ABS.When I describe using a torch to heat the repair spot, this is in the context of using PCL and honestly, I did that for a quick test.use a torch of any sort to do ABS repairs, while it will get the surface gooey enough to do a repair with PCL, it'll also burn the plastic some while doing so which degrades it and produces very toxic fumes. Not to mention that molten plastic can be a terrible burn hazard since it tends to stick quite viciously.If you check out the link below you can see the two materials compared by their various properties. ABS is the top value in each comparison.With all of this said, Polymorph, Polly Plastic, etc have their uses forrepairs like the one mentioned in this thread. For gouges, surface cracks, and screwholes, this material, in my opinion, would beat out ABS nearly every single time. There are no dangerous solvents or toxic adhesives that are needed to use it and you could patch, sand, prime, and paint a repair in 20 mins VS minimum 24 hours for ABS slurry to dry.1: Toss a handful of pellets into a cup of near-boiling water (along with any dye pellets. Its always cheaper to use the 'white' base with some coloring pellets, a little color goes a long way. Carbon can also be used to dye the plastic black along with basically any other powdered dye/colorant)2: Use a heat gun to melt the surface of the area you want to repair NOTE: Having the surface of the ABS melted/gooey is key. Polymorphstick to cold ABS EVER.3: Remove the now melted polymorph from the water. It will start out extremely soft like hot silly putty but as it cools it will become stiffer, try to apply it before it cools down too much. If it does cool down too much, simply reheat it. It can be reheated/reused an infinite number of times.3.5: Ensure the ABS you are about to repair has it's surface melted/gooey4: Press/smear the polymorph into the crack/hole you are trying to repair ensuring you get it in as deeply as possible.5: Remove any excess material once you are confident the spot is filled in and smooth out the repair with your finger (or any object that has been warmed up to about 100f, otherwise it'll harden on contact)r as it cools (be mindful of the hot ABS, it WILL hurt).6: Once fully cooled go ahead and sand/paint to your hearts content.If you need to adjust the filler at all, just hit it with a heat gun (not for as long as the ABS, you should be able to manipulate it with your bare hands).Again, PCL would only be good for. It would never be good for stuff like reenforcing luggage racks or spanning large gaps (unless used very thick) because it is not as strong as ABS and compared to ABS is far more flexible. It'll stretch up to 300% before breaking where ABS only stretch up to 50%.If you decide to use PCL in a slurry with ABS, take heed that the resulting product will more than likely behave somewhat differently compared to a pure ABS/MEK slurry.This doesn't invalidate ANYTHING said by raven41951, I just wanted to add to the discussion and clarify a few things about PCL plastics.

For more information, please visit recycled abs plastic pellets company.

Suggested reading:
What Are the Advantages of recycled abs plastic resins？

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