Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Annie Gawlak on 04/04/2011 17:30:02

Title: Are the fumes from hot plastic dangerous?
Post by: Annie Gawlak on 04/04/2011 17:30:02

Annie Gawlak  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I have an art gallery in Washington, DC.  An artist is using it as his studio for 6 weeks.   During this time he is shredding a variety of plastic bags with an altered lawn mower.   The shreds are then composed on the floor.  When he arrives at a composition that pleases him he takes a large piece of greenhouse plastic, covers the shreds and then with the use of a waxed paper buffer and an iron he melts the shredded plastic onto the sheet of greenhouse plastic and there you have a painting. It then gets mounted on a stretcher and hung on the wall.

Are the fumes from this process toxic?  I am really worried for both our sakes,

Annie

What do you think?

Title: Are the fumes from hot plastic dangerous?
Post by: myself on 08/04/2011 05:45:15

Not a great idea:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080221070646AAzHYHR

Title: Are the fumes from hot plastic dangerous?
Post by: Daerana on 08/04/2011 11:15:40

Yeah I wouldn't be doing it in any great hurry if I were you.  I had a conversation with a fourteen year old about a week or so ago about why he shouldn't try to set his lunch box alight with a cigarette lighter.