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using wast acrylic swarth

Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:33 am
by xhoni
I have an opportunity to obtain quantities of acrylic swarth dose any one know how I could process this to make useful items I have a fluid bed if required to heat the swarth
any thoughts most welcome

Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 10:09 am
by ultimatehandyman
Acrylic off cuts and swarf can be re processed and converted back into methyl methacralate monomer (MMA) (depolymerised meyhyl methacrylate monomer (DMMA) ) which can then be used to make acrylic again, but I am unsure of the process and exactly how it works :??

What is a fluid bed? I am not familiar with one of these!

fluid bed

Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 10:49 pm
by xhoni
a fluid bed is a container if sand with a heater and air is pumped through so it is possible to heat plastic or any other thing to a particular temperature

Re: fluid bed

Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:27 pm
by Gadget
xhoni wrote:a fluid bed is a container if sand with a heater and air is pumped through so it is possible to heat plastic or any other thing to a particular temperature
Is that the thingymabob thingy that they use to make curved frames for D/G glazing units??

Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:40 am
by ultimatehandyman
I don't think the swarf is much good to be honest, you can send it back for recycling though!

Acrylic is thermosetting and so it can be heated and bent into almost any shape. Heat it back up again and leave it and it will return to it's original state.

The equipment to convert the swarf back to acrylic will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and will be done on a huge scale.

Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:47 am
by Edz
How much swarf do you have? You'd need a fair bit to make it worth re-cycling.

BTW .. it fetches around £110 / T so is worth saving if you have loads.