Why plastics turn yellow
A type of thermoplastic polymer with high heat, corrosion and UV resistance is known as ETFE (sometimes erroneously called EFTE)[1]. The acronym ETFE stands for Ethylene-TetraFluoroEthylene, the material being a copolymer of this molecule.
ETFE is a transparent thermoplastic polymer of extraordinary durability: it has high chemical and mechanical resistance (to cutting and abrasion),[2] as well as high stability to temperature changes (it withstands up to 170 °C).[1] It is also combustible but not flammable. The resin can be processed by extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding and liquid pressure molding.[1] The resin can be processed by extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding and liquid pressure molding.
However, its most outstanding quality is its high resistance to ultraviolet rays,[3] which means that, unlike other plastics, it does not yellow when exposed to the sun’s rays. This characteristic makes ETFE an alternative to glass in the building industry.[4] This is the main reason why ETFE is used as an alternative to glass.
Bleaching plastic with baking soda
This tutorial is useful for most white plastics that have been losing their natural color to give way to a somewhat ugly yellow. Those of you who have retro consoles, such as the Super Nintendo, PSX, Dreamcast or an old PC case, will know what we mean. So, let’s bring it back to its natural color.
The chemistry of modern plastics has been greatly improved, being very difficult to see this phenomenon. On the contrary, all the plastics we saw in devices manufactured from the 80’s to the early 2000’s are affected by this phenomenon.
In fact, this yellowing effect does not affect them equally, with PCs or consoles being more yellow than others, even if they are the same product. Also, it is possible to see how a machine presents this effect in a plastic, but not in other parts, creating a kind of bicolor.
All these users pooled their wisdom and created Retr0bright, which consists of a complete recipe that serves as a guide on how to bleach plastic. You can take a look at Retr0bright on their official website. You might find more guides (like the one from The 8-bit Guy) which is also very good.
Cleaning of plastic
Good, The satin paint yellows with time. It is because of the resin it contains. I recommend that, so that this does not happen, the paint is matte. It is not the same finish, but you will get what you need: that the paint does not yellow. Honestly, I think it is the easiest way to achieve this. Greetings
Hi Eduardo,Satin paints are less breathable. If they are of high quality, with a good vinyl acrylic base, they yellow less, or practically not at all, as long as there are no fumes, such as tobacco. In that case, it is necessary to eliminate before with insulators… I recommend you the JUNOKRIL SATIN PAINTING.
Good morning,Before applying the paint, I would apply thixotropic paint on the wall. Then you have to wait for it to dry and then apply the satin paint of your choice. This treatment would help you to prevent the problems you mention.Thank you.
Hi Eduardo, I think the best way to prevent the paint from yellowing is to apply thixotropic paint first. After that, you can apply the paint of your choice. Our experience is that by doing so, the white paint lasts longer without losing the white.We remain at your disposal for anything.I hope it helps.
Plastic bleach
In this aspect something similar happens when we choose to carry out a Passivhaus or EECN project. The initial investment provides a long-term saving (in heating and air conditioning bills) that allows us to recover the investment and continue saving.
With this post we hope to have put an end to all those unproven myths. However, we must not forget that not all PVC is the same, but that the differences in the formulation used by each company have an impact on the environment, as well as on the performance and characteristics of the profiles.