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How to "make" plastic

by ��
on September 2, 2007

Table of Contents

intro: How to "make" plastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: prepare the acetone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: melt the Styrofoam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 4: other usefull info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 5: safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 6: The science behind it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
intro: How to "make" plastic
I have always searched for a quick and simple way to make plastic. I have tried many but the one in this instructable the best I have found. It uses materials that you
probably already have in your house,
it is fun to do and can be completed within minutes. I hope you will enjoy doing this instructable and will be able to learn something at the same time.

step 1: materials
acetone
Acetone is commonly used as a paint thiner and can be found at your local hardware shop or at amazon.com.

glass container
This can be an empty pot of jam or a beaker.

expanded polystyrene (styrofoam)

You can buy styrofoam cups or use any other piece of styrofoam you have.

safety goglesYou might consider using these because acetone can cause permanent eye damage.

Image Notes
1. an empty pot of jam
2. a tank of acetone
3. some styrofoam packaging I had lying around

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
step 2: prepare the acetone
Open the canister of acetone and pour some acetone into the glass container. You don't need much, 1 centimeter should be enough for a little batch of plastic. If theres
not enough you can always add some more later.

Image Notes
1. 1 cm of acetone

step 3: melt the Styrofoam

Start by breaking your block or blocks of Styrofoam in pieces that fit into your glass container. Then take the pieces and push them into the acetone. Continue pushing
Styrofoam into the acetone until the blocks you put in don't melt anymore.

Then wait one to five minutes for some of the acetone to evaporate. Wait one minute if you want it to mold the plastic and five if you want to shape it. The more you let the
acetone evaporate the more solid it will be. You might even want to mold it while its still "liquid".

Here's a video that demonstrates the melting process.

Video

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
 Image Notes Image Notes
1. pieces that fit in the glass container 1. push the Styrofoam so that it melts faster

Image Notes Image Notes

1. if you can still see the acetone it means you need to put way more Styrofoam. 1. the plastic after two minutes and a half.

step 4: other usefull info

If you do not use the plastic immediately cover the container in which you put the plastic.

If your plastic becomes to hard to work with dip it in some acetone to make it soft again.

The plastic fully cures in about 12 hours.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
 Image Notes Image Notes
1. cover; if you used a beaker you can use Saran Wrap 1. a plaster mold

step 5: safety
Acetone is a very dangerous chemical, read the safety instructions before using it. You should never drink or inhale it. Also, do not do this project near any kind of flames
because acetone is very flammable. Wash your hands after touching the uncured plastic or the acetone and don't do anything stupid. Do this project in a well ventilated
area, preferably outside.

Here's an extract of the MSDS safety sheet: "May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. Irritant. Liquid may cause permanent eye damage (corneal
clouding). Contact with skin may cause defatting, leading to irritation. Long-term exposure may cause liver damage." Wearing gloves is a good idea, but you'll have to use
butyl rubber gloves or some other kind of acetone resistant glove. For more information on chemical resistant gloves follow this link.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any harm done to you by your negligence or misinterpretation of this project and by using this information you agree to defend and
hold me harmless from any and all claims, demands, damages, costs and liabilities.

Image Notes
1. read this before using acetone

step 6: The science behind it

Polystyrene is a polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry.

The chemical makeup of polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon with every other carbon connected to a Phenyl group.

Expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) is produced from a mixture of about 90-95% polystyrene and 5-10% gaseous blowing agent, most commonly pentane or carbon
dioxide.The solid plastic is expanded into a foam through the use of heat, usually steam.

Pure solid polystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with fine detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take
on various colors. It is economical and is used for producing plastic model assembly kits, license plate frames, plastic cutlery, CD "jewel" cases, and many other objects
where a fairly rigid, economical plastic of any of various colours is desired.

When Styrofoam is added to acetone (a common organic solvent) it very rapidly dissolves, making it look like it is disappearing. The melted plastic can be recovered from
the acetone to make hard solid Styrofoam plastic (polystyrene). In other words, you don't actually make plastic you just transform an existing form of plastic. The acetone
sort of serves as a molecular "lubricant" between the polymer chains, allowing them to slide around each other. The Styrofoam becomes soft, releasing the air bubbles
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
trapped in the foam, and the polystyrene ends up as a soft blob in the acetone. When the blob is removed and the acetone is allowed to evaporate, it solidifies into a
piece of hard plastic.

Their are two type of solvents, polar solvents and non polar solvents. Bio-plastics will dissolve in polar solvents like water, while polystyrene will dissolve in non-polar
solvents like acetone.

Let's consider two solvents that are pretty different in their polarities in order to explore this topic. Water, which we said is a polar solvent, dissolves almost anything that
is polar, such as salt and many other ionic compounds. Water can't dissolve everything, though. Try removing fingernail polish with water and you'll see what I mean.
Acetone, a solvent with some non-polar properties, is commonly used to do that job. Acetone is an effective solvent for all sorts of non-polar substances.

The resin identification code symbol for polystyrene, developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry so that items can be labeled for easy recycling, is 6. However, the
majority of polystyrene products are currently not recycled because of a lack of suitable recycling facilities.
Hence, even tough this is a petroleum based plastic, you probably are helping the environment since you reuse a plastic that would usuals go to waste and that would
take thousands of years to decompose.

source: wikipedia

Image Notes
Image Notes
1. expanded polystyrene packaging
1. expanded polystyrene viewed under a microscope. You can see the air bubbles.

Image Notes
1. a Phenyl group

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 193 comments

weswert says: Mar 12, 2009. 6:44 PM REPLY

UUGGHHH!! that video is crazy!

fearghus says: Mar 7, 2009. 7:47 PM REPLY

Is anyone able to say exactly how strong this plastic is? Do you think that a dome of the material would be able to hold up, say, ten pounds placed on top of
it? Would it be able to deal with vacuum easily? (not intense vacuum, just 40 mmhg under normal pressure)

jmbudka says: Jan 24, 2009. 3:38 PM REPLY

I want to try using this to create cheap custom plastic toys. Has anyone had luck pouring this material into a plastic mold? Obviously it is constantly getting
harder as the acetone evaporates. But is the initial viscosity of the material light enough to be poured as a liquid? Or is it more like say: vaseline, or peanut
butter or clay?

gunnk says: Feb 5, 2009. 10:14 AM REPLY

I want to do the same. I've tried this technique, but so far I've found that I continue to have dissolved air trying to come out of the resulting styrene for
days. It leaves the resulting styrene filled with bubbles. Looks like others here are having some success, so I need to try again.

stevenpa says: Dec 29, 2008. 9:02 AM REPLY

For some reason my styrofoam won't dissolve. You see the liquid go into it and it gets a little softer but nothing more. After 1 hour pushing the stuff only gets
smaller but it doesn't dissolve. Are there differences in quality between some brands of aceton? I really want to make it work.

gunnk says: Feb 5, 2009. 10:09 AM REPLY

Using packing peanuts as your source? Some peanuts are now actually made from cornstarch and will dissolve in water. I haven't tried dissolving those
in acetone, but it's possible you don't have real styrofoam but an "environmentally friendly" alternative of some sort.

the_burrito_master says: Jan 25, 2009. 7:34 PM REPLY

I'm planning on building huge knex roller coaster and I want to make my own custom cars for it I'm gonna first carve out some roller coaster cars out of some
soft yet durable material. then make a mold from that.

would it be easy to get this to set in somewhat small places? As in a 2 millimeter space?

my mold will most likely be made of the stuff you can make plaster crafts in and then peel away the rubbery material. I would have to re make my mold each
time is there a better way I could do this? I have to make 10 cars.

power says: Aug 19, 2008. 10:03 PM REPLY

is this plastic tough?
I wanna make wheels for my tech deck fingerboard(mini skateboard)

timator6 says: Jan 8, 2009. 4:52 PM REPLY

thats exactly what i wanted to do with is ... i was think of making trucks too. kwalper made it sound like its rigid enough though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
 FAS says: Jan 23, 2008. 6:47 AM REPLY
I'm interested in using this stuff for making a mold of something, anything..my question is how does this stuff release..example is I want to make a mold of
the inside of a soup bowl...after I form the plastic inside the bowl and let it dry does it come out of the bowl without using some other chemical to release this
stuff? Or if I place a quarter in the stuff and let it dry will the quarter come out of the plastic or does it become part of the new plastic?

chriskarr says: Jan 7, 2009. 7:49 PM REPLY

The quarter would come back out of the plastic, however, I would advise not making quarters in your home because of the fact that they will end up
costing more than you will get back out; any liquid that will solidify at room temperature and look like the nickel on a quarter would be too hot while being
liquid to put into a plastic mold.

starberry_lov3r says: Jan 7, 2009. 7:03 PM REPLY

no wonder mine was so dry all i need it 2 do was dip it in with acetone and could u answer my question on the intro ty

starberry_lov3r says: Jan 7, 2009. 7:02 PM REPLY

i need the answer as quick as possible well does it even biodegrade! or decompose! i am running low on time and thanks for helping

wenpherd says: Jan 5, 2009. 7:31 PM REPLY

is it strong

salec says: Dec 17, 2008. 3:26 AM REPLY

This acetone stuff seems dangerous, especially if you are going to repeat this often (to make stuff). Also, we let it freely evaporate into the atmosphere
without knowing what effect it has on it. Why cant we use controlled heat (e.g., an oven) to melt the plastic, instead of dissolving it?

edfel01 says: Dec 10, 2008. 6:03 PM REPLY

kool so its actually plastic know i need to know wat to mold

starberry_lov3r says: Dec 9, 2008. 7:16 PM REPLY

does it biodegrade anyways... plz reply ...

blugyblug says: Dec 9, 2008. 1:15 AM REPLY

You can also use this with Fuel/Petrol/Oil
Get some foam, the same in your instructable, and mix it with some oil. NOT MACHINE OIL, the clear, watery type of oil. (Not the oil that looks red/blue and
feels like mucus...

kwalper says: Nov 16, 2008. 7:30 PM REPLY

A perfect use for this stuff is to make it in a small jam jar and make it soft so there is plenty of acetone left in the jar. Then close the lid tight so the acetone
doesn't evaporate and take it camping and use it to start your campfires in wet weather. It does burn pretty good.

kwalper says: Nov 16, 2008. 7:23 PM REPLY

I've read the whole thread and has anyone made this stuff so it is a little more pliable when dried? I'm wondering what I could add to make it more flexible
when it is dried.
I'm drying my first batch as I post this. I would like to make some less rigid plastic. Maybe throw soft soft plastic in the mix?
This is a good informative instructable and thread.

kwalper says: Nov 14, 2008. 9:49 AM REPLY

Nice. I'll give it a go when I need to make a part or something. Thanks

REA says: Jun 20, 2008. 7:54 PM REPLY

will the plastic react in any way with plaster of paris?

Shane1163 says: Nov 6, 2008. 9:04 PM REPLY

no I use it, I make molds and I mold stuff from the dissolved styrofoam with it

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
 shinde_tukaram says: Aug 24, 2008. 11:24 PM REPLY
no. plastic does not react with plaster of paris

kingalexl says: Nov 14, 2008. 2:09 PM REPLY

wow... rofl

littleangels says: Jun 8, 2008. 10:19 AM REPLY

This reminds me of an old joke where you add acetone to a cigarette filter. It becomes really gooey, then hardens. Don't know what could be done with that,
just had to share this.

9.6 Volts says: Nov 6, 2008. 12:02 AM REPLY

Random Of the Day
!?!?!?!?!?!?!

FullyInvolvedScientist says: Nov 4, 2008. 10:33 PM REPLY

Sounds like a funny joke to me! Does that really happen? Any arrows to somewhere that I could find out before I collect some cigarette filters. Thanks.

littleangels says: Nov 5, 2008. 9:37 AM REPLY

I don't remember the jist of the whole joke, been awhile...but you have someone hold a un-papered cigarette filter loosly in their closed hand, and
then add a cap full of acetone through the opening in the top on their hand. Turns slimy. (I am thinking it was a snot or obscene joke..many years ago
as a teenager..MANY years ago)

FullyInvolvedScientist says: Nov 4, 2008. 10:47 PM REPLY

This is a great Instructable. I have some questions and I think I looked through all the comments for answers. You said in one comment that this is about the
hardness of airhockey pucks? Is that how hard the ball above is? Are there any fumes when melting the styrofoam down? When you mold form the "liquid
form" do you mean before the acetone evaporates after you put in the last piece or should you leave a little acetone in to keep it flowable? Thank you for
your time. This is a great Instructable and is perfect to cast parts and housing pieces for prototyping ideas.

Musicman41 says: Oct 1, 2008. 8:04 AM REPLY

I tried doing this, but the Styrofoam turned directly into a kind of putty. I want to pour it into a mold, but it was never a liquid. How do I do this?

I also tried food coloring. It does color the plastic, but if you use too much, the Styrofoam will not devolve.

saintshortckt says: Sep 29, 2008. 1:13 PM REPLY

how do you make it perfectly round? like that ball up there?

zasxcd says: Sep 20, 2008. 12:21 PM REPLY

Is this an oil based plastic

MercuryX says: Sep 16, 2008. 11:28 AM REPLY

Woohoo!
I just bought 5 Litres of Acetone
:]

rianocerous says: Aug 26, 2008. 3:49 PM REPLY

I know this is pretty old, but I was wondering if anyone had tested this - if you made this in an airtight jar, could it be stored for a while as a soft moldable
plastic, and then used and let air-cure when necessary?

(Could I make a large "batch" in a mayonnaise jar, and use it as needed, and have the portion in the jar stay soft and moldable, or would adding more
acetone "soften" it back up?)

Thanks for anyone who tries.. I'll try it next time I get some packing styrofoam, if it works that's a great way to "recycyle" and have it ready when you need it.

Also, what about packing peanuts? the texture is different than the molded stuff, but its the same compound, right?

��
says: Sep 14, 2008. 2:40 PM REPLY
You can store the plastic for a while if you seal it in an airtight jar and if it ever hardens too much you can just put it back in some acetone to make it
maleable again. However, the harder the plastic becomes, the longer it will take for it to dissolve. Packing peanuts might not work. It all depends on their
composition, 100% polystyrene peanuts will work, but not the starch based biodegradable ones. The biodegradable one will dissolve in water, but I don't
know if you can make plastic with them.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/
 boognishmofo says: Aug 16, 2008. 11:09 AM REPLY
Great instructable. For the person talking about using gas, when you use gas with Styrofoam it turns into napalm. This is some very deadly stuff and is
extremely sticky. It is comparable to caramel but extremely flammable. I would mos def recommend using extreme precaution including gloves, long sleeves,
ventilation and masks. Wow!!! I think I'm getting old. It is great though that safety is stressed so much on this site.

a918bmxr says: Aug 16, 2008. 9:57 AM REPLY

how do you mold it :-(

therealmastercheif says: Aug 3, 2008. 2:10 PM REPLY

im auctually going to try to make a master cheif suit from this plastic... if it works ill post a pic :p

stormrider711 says: Aug 5, 2008. 11:59 AM REPLY

is this brian? (nate)

stormrider711 says: Aug 5, 2008. 11:57 AM REPLY

I think I'm going to build the hyabusa armor

stormrider711 says: Aug 5, 2008. 11:57 AM REPLY

oops spelled hayabusa wrong

dude300 says: Aug 1, 2008. 7:32 AM REPLY

sorry to sound stupid but what is acetone

jtc says: Jul 29, 2008. 8:10 AM REPLY

Have you tried adding color to the plastic at all? If so, what materials do you use? If not, does the polystyrene solidify into a while plastic?

What materials are you using for molding? Can I create a frame of cardboard, for example, and spread the plastic over it?

ArisenProdigy says: Jul 12, 2008. 3:57 PM REPLY

I just made plaster molds of my ears and I think I'm going to use this plastic making method to create my ears! Great Instructable!

When I make mine on a binaural experiment I'll be sure to include a link to this process.

ArisenProdigy says: Jul 12, 2008. 4:36 PM REPLY

Actually, I just tried to do this with fingernail polish remover (which I thought was simply acetone). My Styrofoam didn't dissolve. I'll try it with some
acetone once I get some at the local hardware store and see if that's what the problem is.

ArisenProdigy says: Jul 13, 2008. 9:22 AM REPLY

So, yeah, don't use fingernail polish remover, it doesn't work...

vince086 says: Jul 15, 2008. 3:56 PM REPLY

yea I know, nail polish remover is crap. You could try using gasoline, it works great !

ArisenProdigy says: Jul 16, 2008. 6:08 PM REPLY

I thought gasoline makes styrofoam turn more blubbery than into a plastic. I know I tried using Methyl Ethyl Ketone while I was at work one
day and the styrofoam turned into a clear liquid.

vince086 says: Jul 21, 2008. 10:41 AM REPLY

it turns it into runy playdo like stuff, it becomes solid once it dry out a bit.
You do have to watch out because it is very flamable

view all 193 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-%22make%22-plastic/