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Would ABS plastic degrade in a dishwasher?
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Leslie Coduti
Would ABS plastic degrade in a dishwasher?
According to several application guides/compatibility charts for ABS plastic (like this one), ABS is fairly resistant to the conditions present in a dishwasher (mild to strong alkaline, salts, no organic solvents, mild temperatures).
Please note that while the ABS structural backbone may be attacked by nucleophilic agents at the nitrile carbon, and that the nitrile group may be hydrolised in acidic or basic environments, the conditions required are much harsher that a common dishwasher.
For example (p.8), glacial acetic acid was found to cause significant swelling, while 25% w/w sodium hydroxide and 25% w/v HCl barely caused changes.
So, while the concern for release of toxic additives present in the formulation of the original ABS filament may or not be significant, from the chemical point of view it is almost sure it won't degrade noticeably.
Also, anecdotally, I used to wash old LEGO pieces in a dishwasher (kids are dirty), and not degradation was observed at all.
According to several application guides/compatibility charts for ABS plastic (like this one), ABS is fairly resistant to the conditions present in a dishwasher (mild to strong alkaline, salts, no organic solvents, mild temperatures).
Please note that while the ABS structural backbone may be attacked by nucleophilic agents at the nitrile carbon, and that the nitrile group may be hydrolised in acidic or basic environments, the conditions required are much harsher that a common dishwasher.
For example (p.8), glacial acetic acid was found to cause significant swelling, while 25% w/w sodium hydroxide and 25% w/v HCl barely caused changes.
So, while the concern for release of toxic additives present in the formulation of the original ABS filament may or not be significant, from the chemical point of view it is almost sure it won't degrade noticeably.
Also, anecdotally, I used to wash old LEGO pieces in a dishwasher (kids are dirty), and not degradation was observed at all.
Also, experimenting with a replaceable sample, as noted before, is a very practical way of getting results.More
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ABS isn't food safe so you may introduce toxic particles to your dishwasher and anything else in it. The combination of high temperatures and harsh chemicals could still degrade unprotected ABS despite temperatures being below glass transition. Other people have done it before and haven't had issues though, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.
I would recommend using PETG filament over ABS for food-related prints, PETG is less toxic and still handles heat well. You can also anneal PLA to make it more heat resistant but PETG would still be better than annealed PLA.
This question would probably be better answered on a dedicated 3D printing forum rather than on here.
ABS isn't food safe so you may introduce toxic particles to your dishwasher and anything else in it. The combination of high temperatures and harsh chemicals could still degrade unprotected ABS despite temperatures being below glass transition. Other people have done it before and haven't had issues though, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.
I would recommend using PETG filament over ABS for food-related prints, PETG is less toxic and still handles heat well. You can also anneal PLA to make it more heat resistant but PETG would still be better than annealed PLA.
This question would probably be better answered on a dedicated 3D printing forum rather than on here.
A recommendation for a filament would indeed go to 3D print SE, but I was asking specifically about the behaviour of ABS because I wanted to keep the question in topic with the Chemistry section, since I expect more knowledge about the degradation in this community.More
Although the Flyingfenixs answer goes into good detail of ABSs ability to withstand dishwasher cycles, I would warn against trusting evidence based on more ideal samples. FFF 3D printed parts are much more porous with many more microscopic defects and contaminants than injection-molded ABS, so thats something to keep in mind.More
According to several application guides/compatibility charts for ABS plastic (like this one), ABS is fairly resistant to the conditions present in a dishwasher (mild to strong alkaline, salts, no organic solvents, mild temperatures).
Please note that while the ABS structural backbone may be attacked by nucleophilic agents at the nitrile carbon, and that the nitrile group may be hydrolised in acidic or basic environments, the conditions required are much harsher that a common dishwasher.
For example (p.8), glacial acetic acid was found to cause significant swelling, while 25% w/w sodium hydroxide and 25% w/v HCl barely caused changes.
So, while the concern for release of toxic additives present in the formulation of the original ABS filament may or not be significant, from the chemical point of view it is almost sure it won't degrade noticeably.
Also, anecdotally, I used to wash old LEGO pieces in a dishwasher (kids are dirty), and not degradation was observed at all.
According to several application guides/compatibility charts for ABS plastic (like this one), ABS is fairly resistant to the conditions present in a dishwasher (mild to strong alkaline, salts, no organic solvents, mild temperatures).
Please note that while the ABS structural backbone may be attacked by nucleophilic agents at the nitrile carbon, and that the nitrile group may be hydrolised in acidic or basic environments, the conditions required are much harsher that a common dishwasher.
For example (p.8), glacial acetic acid was found to cause significant swelling, while 25% w/w sodium hydroxide and 25% w/v HCl barely caused changes.
So, while the concern for release of toxic additives present in the formulation of the original ABS filament may or not be significant, from the chemical point of view it is almost sure it won't degrade noticeably.
Also, anecdotally, I used to wash old LEGO pieces in a dishwasher (kids are dirty), and not degradation was observed at all.
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ABS isn't food safe so you may introduce toxic particles to your dishwasher and anything else in it. The combination of high temperatures and harsh chemicals could still degrade unprotected ABS despite temperatures being below glass transition. Other people have done it before and haven't had issues though, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.
I would recommend using PETG filament over ABS for food-related prints, PETG is less toxic and still handles heat well. You can also anneal PLA to make it more heat resistant but PETG would still be better than annealed PLA.
This question would probably be better answered on a dedicated 3D printing forum rather than on here.
ABS isn't food safe so you may introduce toxic particles to your dishwasher and anything else in it. The combination of high temperatures and harsh chemicals could still degrade unprotected ABS despite temperatures being below glass transition. Other people have done it before and haven't had issues though, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.
I would recommend using PETG filament over ABS for food-related prints, PETG is less toxic and still handles heat well. You can also anneal PLA to make it more heat resistant but PETG would still be better than annealed PLA.
This question would probably be better answered on a dedicated 3D printing forum rather than on here.
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