Question: how to control residual acrylic odor

[Martin Reynolds]

OK, so I cut a bunch of acrylic. Lots - like 2 full sheets - into parts. maybe 2 - 3 hours of continuous cutting. Had a little trouble with the exhaust leaking back into the house, which I have under control.

But I am having a residual odor problem. The smell of lasered acrylic clings to the parts and the inside of the machine. Seems that it even leaks through plastic bags. I put the bags in the garage, they are fine now.

But - anybody got any ideas on controlling the residual odor inside the machine? As long as I run the exhaust, it isn't a problem. But when the exhaust is off, the smell diffuses out of the machine and fills the room. And I do have the exhaust disconnected, but I did not plug the hose end.


Explorer II 30W

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Use an Ozone/UV machine. PM me if you need more info. I use one in my house and it smells like a clean spring day after lighning shower.
Thanks,

[Mike Null]

Martin:

Your issue has come up on the forum several times and I am somewhat baffled by it as I have never encountered an odor problem. I cut acrylic nearly every day.

I would suggest not disconnecting your exhaust at all. Run it after you have finished the cutting. Check the line to be sure there are no leaks. I use duct tape on all joints and compression clamps at the machine and blast gate.

It sounds as if you have adequate cfm with your blower since the odor isn't a problem when its running.

I would look for leaks especially since you are disconnecting and reconnecting your exhaust.

[Joe Pelonio]

Perhaps you do still have a small leak. Even a pinhole will stink up the room.
Try sudsy water around the joints.

I too cut acrylic, sometimes 1/4" for 8 hours a day, and have never had this problem. Once cut, the acrylic does not smell, and when finished, fan off and top closed there is no smell from the unit. Now if I stick my head into the machine and sniff, that's another matter, but it stays in there when off.

I do run an air purifier while running the job, as I am always in too much of a hurry to swap material and get it running again to wait for the fumes to clear before opening the top.

[Martin Reynolds]

Joe, thanks for your observation. I'll bear that in mind as I continue to work through the problem. Part of the problem is that my wife is very sensitive to the acrylic smell.

I ran the exhaust for a couple of hours after cutting. I have to disconnect it, because it is still a temporary installation - I put a panel in my window with a blast gate in it.

I don't have a leak problem, everything is fine when the exhaust is running.

I did cut some PETG, and I wonder if the PETG and acrylic somehow interact badly. PETG leaves a powdery deposit that could absorb and release acrylic fumes.

I'll continue to investigate.

[Frank Corker]

Martin, I had a similar problem before I got my system sorted out properly, as it is temporary why don't you put a small fan blower at the front of your machine, most have a vented box (Epilog do) where the bed drops. Blowing the air into the box will assist your vent to extract all the smell out your current vent

[Rodne Gold]

The odor is due to the the liquified polymer that makes acrylic , to help with this problem check your air assist is not at the wrong pressure , the melt should eject thru the cut kerf and not be present on the underside of the pex itself. If you are not using air assist , then do so.
The odour will stick to the table or surface you use under the pex as well , like a cutting table as well as the scrap.
Its not toxic , but it does give some folk headaches. Even if I briefly work with lasering perspex , i can smell the odor on me for the whole day. I kinda like it , much like I like the smell of burnt rubber and trackbite at the dragstrip.
I would suggest keeping a negative pressure in the room you laser in , ie have a big extractor fan in the room evacuating the rooms air.
I would also suggest you uprate your extraction system if you find there are "leaks" coming from the machine body itself , it's most likely not viscious enough.

[Gary Hair]

My blower is mounted to the wall in the garage about 15 feet away from my laser and blows directly outside. Because of this arrangement I don't have to worry about leaks at all. I could have a gaping hole in the ducting and the only result is that it doesn't draw as much through the laser - no leaking of fumes though.

If you have the blower closer to the laser then you have to worry about leaks and I would bet you couldn't seal it up tight enough to eliminate every leak - with my setup I don't care about leaks.

Gary

[Mike Hood]

I actually had some leaks in the blower housing itself. Aluminum tape and plumbers putty made quick work of it, but it was troublesome at first :)

[Martin Reynolds]

Thanks, Rodne- that aligns with my experience. The negative pressure is a bit of a challenge for other reasons. My wife runs a cooking hood, which makes the room negative pressure the wrong way. But when I get my permanent install in, I could install a low-flow fan to keep the laser cabinet at negative pressure. I may also try sealing off the vents, that should help. The Explorer only has one vent area, and a piece of manetic rubber should be perfect.

We've tried an ozone system, judged it ineffective. A room filter with a carbon layer (old and used) did seem to make a difference. Turns out that there is a whole community of indoor gardeners that use carbon-based odor removal systems, they show up on eBay for about $60.

Thanks again for all the thoughts, I'll keep at it.

[Brent Vander Weil]

This is NOT a good place for a Stick-Up !!!!

[Gary Hair]

Turns out that there is a whole community of indoor gardeners that use carbon-based odor removal systems, they show up on eBay for about $60.

Gee, wonder what they are growing indoors that they need to get rid of the odor?

[Ed Maloney]

I can't imagine!

;)

[Bill Cunningham]

I used to know, but I uh ..forgot!!:D

[Joe Pelonio]

Right now I'm cutting 1/4" acrylic with Rowmark brushed aluminum laminated onto it. Lots of 8" letters. My shop is upstairs, with the exhaust going out a window. I went outside, and wandered around for a few minutes and can't smell it at all outside. Hopefully the smell is going up. Meanwhile inside the room, I get a whiff when I open the laser cover, but while it's running there is no smell at all.

[Bruce Volden]

These CHEAP little things work great!!! I use them 24-7 in the laser shop and they WILL knock down the smells!! http://www.ioniczone.com/iz270-silent-air-purifier-s/81.htm


I bought 2 of them about 5 years ago after my Alpine system failed ($400). They require periodic maintenance but did I mention CHEAP??


Bruce