Why not burn a bag of water?
More than one without a doubt!!!!. The microwave heating of meals in plastic containers is very common nowadays because it is a very practical system to have the food cooked in a short space of time, allowing to improvise a quick meal when you do not have time or desire to cook…
Water bottles, trays, film-films…, precooked or cooked food containers… etc., if heated or exposed to high ambient temperatures, run the risk of decomposition of the plastic that covers them and the formation of undesirable substances such as dioxins and other toxins that can migrate into the food.
The need to manufacture packaging today is very great. Food packaging is any material used to contain, transport and store food products, from the raw material to the finished product, and from the manufacturer to the consumer. Packaging also makes it possible to maintain and even extend the life of the food and preserve its nutritional qualities by providing physical protection and adequate information to prevent contamination of the food it contains.
At what temperature does plastic bottles melt?
Thank you very much Jessy! It is indeed possible to boil water in a plastic bottle without it melting. This is because the heat that the bottle receives is transmitted to the water, dissipating it. In this way, the temperature of the bottle does not rise enough to melt. We could say that in a certain way, the water cools the bottle, capturing the heat for itself.
And why does it boil? As the water absorbs the heat, it will begin to rise in temperature, until it reaches a point where it starts to boil. “But… if the water boils, that means it is at 100°C. Shouldn’t the bottle melt at 100°C?” Well, no. It turns out that the melting point of the plastic bottles we use on a daily basis is 260ºC. If we place these bottles over a flame, their temperature will rise above 260º and they will melt. But if we heat them with water inside, and dissipate its heat so that it does not rise above that temperature, the bottle can contain boiling water at 100º without melting.
At what temperature ice melts
It may happen that we are in the middle of nowhere and we need or feel like drinking something hot and the container we had no longer exists, because it broke or we lost it. Things that can happen when you are traveling and not to mention if the weather is bad.
One way to solve it is to use a plastic bottle. That’s right, by filling a water bottle you can put it in the fire, directly to the flame to heat the water. Don’t worry, if you do it right it shouldn’t puncture and put out the fire you worked so hard to light.
It is very easy, look for a bottle that is handy and we can scorch it a little. Fill it with water or the necessary quantity and put it directly to the flame of the fire. The secret not to ruin the bottle completely is not to allow the part without water (inside the bottle) to be exposed to the fire. The most advisable thing is to fill it completely trying not to leave air bubbles. It is possible to rest the bottle on the embers but some of them may remain stuck to the plastic and it will be difficult to grab it. After a while the water will be hot enough. Pay attention or in the meantime think about how you are going to grab it to transfer the water to another container, remember that it will be very hot.
Plastic antimony
Working on a material for making soluble detergent capsules, Chilean scientist Roberto Astete discovered Solubag, a material with the same consistency as plastic, but which does not pollute and dissolves in minutes in water. You can see how it works in this video:
Where is the magic of Solubag? It is a material created from polyvinyl acetate (PVA), which is normally obtained from crude oil. It is a tough, elastic material used in glues and chewing gum. The difference is that Solubag obtains it from natural gases and limestone. And it can be manufactured in today’s plastic factories, without the need for retrofitting.
The result is a material with a strength and elasticity very similar to plastic, but which does not pollute, neither during processing nor during recycling. It is already used to manufacture plastic bags, cloth bags, masks, shoe covers and caps:
The great advantage of Solubag is that it dissolves in water. At first glance this could be a problem, because if we inadvertently get such a bag wet, it could break. But in the production phase, the temperature of the water at which it dissolves can be adjusted.