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  1. #1

    Re use of scrap ABS, possibly PLA

    Does anyone know:

    If I dissolve scrap ABS in acetone to the point where it forms a paste, will it eventually harden again?

    If it is injected into a mold will it still harden?

  2. #2
    Staff Engineer
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    I've made ABS slurry to apply to the build plate and even in a sealed container, the acetone evaporated, leaving a film of ABS behind. It's not so much that it hardens as it is that the solvent evaporates. In a closed mold, evaporation would be fairly slow. It might be accelerated by application of heat.

    Additionally, the ABS paste will be reduced in volume by the evaporation, requiring compensation in the injection quantity and perhaps a buffer volume in the mold.

    Some testing may be required to determine the strength of the deposited ABS. I suspect it will be weak.

  3. #3
    Super Moderator curious aardvark's Avatar
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    Jul 2014
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    you'd also need to make sure the acetone didn't dissolve the mould.

    You could probably use a porous mould made from plaster.
    But it would probably be hard to remove it.

    And you'd need to leave it outside to dry out - acetone is not good stuff to breath in.

    But yeah it would work.

    The thind to do is to test it by macking something like a matchstick and seeing how the properties compare to a 3d printed version.

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