| General > General Technical Chat |
| Plastic cases that go sticky |
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| Gyro:
I was just about to edit my post above. Yes, I found the datasheet for the cheap stuff on the DIY store site, attached. It's mostly Ethanol, <10% IPA, <10% MEK plus the colour and nasty smell/taste. P.S. No more IBM Selectrics, more's the pity, they were fun to watch! |
| Zero999:
Corrosive chemicals, UV radiation and even some bacteria can breakdown long chain polymers into smaller molecules, similar to the tars and waxes used to make them in the first place, hence the sticky mess. There's not much which can be done to stop this, other than keep it clean, although don't use strong chemicals to clean it, just soapy water, and keep away from UV light. Once this has happened, it's very difficult to clean off, since the sticky mess is strongly chemically bonded to the substrate. Some strong solvents such as acetone and even citrus oils can make it worse, since they will dissolve some polymers and can leech into plastic underneath, causing it to become tacky. If cleaning with alcohol (most should be fairly plastic safe) and detergent doesn't work, then you could try covering it with a lacquer, to encapsulate it. I don't think there's anything else which can be done. |
| rdl:
Rubbery ("soft feel") coatings are a real problem because of their tendency to go sticky. I believe that the manufacturers don't really know why it happens yet they keep using it for some reason. |
| jpanhalt:
--- Quote from: rdl on February 23, 2024, 09:35:18 pm ---Rubbery ("soft feel") coatings are a real problem because of their tendency to go sticky. I believe that the manufacturers don't really know why it happens yet they keep using it for some reason. --- End quote --- It's out of ignorance. Customer ignorance. Manufacturers do it on purpose. |
| Halcyon:
I've used citrus-based cleaner with ethanol (sometimes sold as air freshener sprays). It works remarkably well on anything sticky. But be careful around areas that have printed text, labels etc... as it will erase those too. |
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