Dissolving an unknown Polymer

[Rchrygy]

Hi,
I was just wondering if there is anyone who has any knowledge of dissolving a very hard polymer (which unfortunately I have no MSDS). I have tried burning (creates a big mess plus the fumes are seriously toxic).tried piranha just touches the outer layer. The only thing which will dissolve it is acetone but it has to be soaked for a min of 6 months then it it jelly like . I have attached a photo of one type. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you tried incineration.......outside of course?

 

[Martijn]

I

Hi,
I was just wondering if there is anyone who has any knowledge of dissolving a very hard polymer (which unfortunately I have no MSDS). I have tried burning (creates a big mess plus the fumes are seriously toxic).tried piranha just touches the outer layer. The only thing which will dissolve it is acetone but it has to be soaked for a min of 6 months then it it jelly like . I have attached a photo of one type. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you have an old oven or a heatgun, you could try putting it on a coarse metal mesh and slowly raising the temperature to make the plastic melt off and drip through the mesh.
Leaving the parts on the mesh.
You could put the mesh on an oven tray with water to catch the molten plastic.
180 degrees C should make it soft enough to start melting without burning. Most plastics melt around 200 C.

 

[the leprechaun]

I have been as you say "hook blade it" but it is a very slow way of doing it and I have a lot to do.
I have sent it for refining in the past ( with no polymer) and the XRF result is very close to the end result from refining . My problem is the refiners I use will not process it with the polymer attached.

 

[the leprechaun]

Martin sometimes the obvious is right in front of you and you do not see it. The next time I am in the Netherlands I will buy you as much beer as you can consume just tried it with the heat gun and it works a treat no smell no fumes. I just need a system to scale it up now.

 

[andu]

I refuse to believe any polymer will resist mr hammer. Oh heat gun worked? Sweet .

 

[the leprechaun]

Yes it did indeed and a sweet result photo attached, thanks to that Flying Dutch Man Martijn and I have the perfect old desoldering workstation for doing it very happy with the end result. Now to find a new worker for this job is the next problem. PM me Martijn with your address and I will send you a few grams if you would like some. Once again many thanks to all who sent suggestions.

​

 

[Jbeddo]

Mek

 

[andu]

How much of that could you have that you want a worker?

 

[kurtak]

How much of that could you have that you want a worker?

He (the OP) already answered that in one of his other posts --------

I have probably 100kg clean metal with wire as in the second photo I posted.I have few hundred kg to process and maybe 20kg like in the first photo I posted. Of the 20kg to process this photo shows the best case where the previous photo showed worst case.

Per the bold print = a few hundred kilos

Kurt