Very strange ABS

[Ivan Pavletic]

Hi everybody!

This is some interesting ABS we got lately from china. The first order was fine, no faults, no scratch, good for engraving and cutting. This second order is very strange. When we peal off protective cover it leaves something strange on ABS. You can see that in pictures.
The white one leaves something shiny that can be partially scratched off. I guess it is some kind of a glue or what. We tried washing with hot water, alcohol, benzine, acetone, paint thinners and nothing could wash it off.

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[Dan Hintz]

Looks like remnants of the plastic cover...

[Ivan Pavletic]

Yes, they are. The plastic cover does not tear down, it comes off in one peace. Somehow it divides it self :)

[Joe Pelonio]

Try heating it gently with a hair dryer and rub with your finger to get it started, then roll to peel off. Be careful, too much heat can warm the material. It sounds like a problem similar to removing the paper from old acrylic.

[Ivan Pavletic]

We tried heating it. Well, it helps but only for brushed type gold and aluminum. The colored ones are problem. It does not comes off.

[Kev Williams]

I wonder if they're using biodegradable plastic for the coating? If so, could be whatever's added to the plastic to degrade it is also degrading the 'host' plastic, and the two are fusing together?

(just a guess, I was actually reading about such plastic just the other day!)

[Chris J Anderson]

I wonder whats actually in the 'acrylic' material, from a safety point of view I'm not sure I would trust laserable chinese sheet to actually be laserable safely ?
I've seen / been involved in some horrible stories on items purchased direct from China, the most recent being a very expensive colour sorting machine for sorting grains.

On the plastic peeling side of things, I bought some sheets from another engraver at a super low cost, because it had exactly this problem. i just use it for stencils etc.
He told me that the supplier said it was because they had applied the plastic film before the plastic had cured properly.

[Doug Griffith]

Looks like a lacquer coating. I've worked with sheet materials from plastic processors that lacquer coat on the extrusion line. It's typically for scratch and chemical resistance.

Of course, this coating failed to adhere.

Also, I see lots and lots of ABS. I've never seen it that color with a protective film.