Plastic Materials-Identification Chart |
| Below is a chart to help identify plastics.
Printer friendly version When printing this page, be sure to change your printer to LANDSCAPE setting. You will receive 2 pages that you can put together to work with. Please note: All of the information below is based upon general characteristics of the tubing. With that in mind, remember that additives, colors and other factors may change the reaction of the plastic. TexLoc only offers this page as an added resource to help you determine what sort of plastic you may have in your possession. It is not intended to be the sole source for making a complete determination of the sort of plastic you may be holding.
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| * Be sure to check the notes at the bottom of the page for additional information.
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| YES = | NO= | ||||||||||||||||||||
Plastic Materials |
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Press a soldering iron or a hot rod (500°F/260°C) against the sample |
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| Thermoplastics | Thermosets | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Burn a small corner of the sample | ||||||||||||||||||||
Floats |
Drop a small sample | Sinks |
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Self Extinguishing |
Continues to Burn | ||||||||||||||||||
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Material Observations |
DAP | Melamine Formalde Hyde |
Phenol Formalde Hyde |
Urea Formalde Hyde |
Polyester | Silicone | Epoxy | Material Observations |
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| | | | | Color of Flame | Yellow | Yellow w/blue tip | Yellow | Yellow w/greenish blue edge | Yellow w/ blue edges | Bright Yellow | Yellow | Color of Flame | |||||||||||
PP |
All | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| | Odor | Faint odor of Phenol | Fish like | Phenol | Formalde- Hyde |
Sour Cinnamon | None | Pungent Aminer | Odor | |||||||||||
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| | | | | Other | Black Smoke | Swells and Cracks | May or may not be self-exting. | Swells and Cracks | Black Smoke w/soot | Continues to burn | Black Smoke | Other | |||||||||||
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| | | Burn a small corner of the sample |
Self-Extinguishing* | |||||||||||||||||||
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| | | No Flames* | Continues to burn* | | | ||||||||||||||||||
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| | | Drips | Drips | Drips | ||||||||||||||||||
| | | Yes | No |
Yes |
No | Yes | No | |||||||||||||||
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Material Observations |
PE | PP | FEP | CTFE | PTFE | PVF | ABS | Acetal | Cellulose Acetate |
Cellulose Acetate Butyrate |
Cellulose Propionate |
Poly Styrene |
Poly ester |
Cellulose Nitrate |
Poly Urethane | Nylon | Poly Sulfone | Poly Carbonate |
PPO | PVC | Material Observations |
| Color of Flame | Blue w/ yellow tip |
___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | Blue w/ yellow edges | Blue | Yellow w/Sparks | Yellow w/blue tip |
Yellow | Yellow | yellow with blue edges | Pale Yellow |
Yellow | Blue w/ yellow tip |
Orange | Orange or Yellow | Yellowish Orange | Yellow w/green edges | Color of Flame | |
| Odor | Paraffin | Acrid or Diesel Fumes | Burnt Hair |
Acetic Acid |
Burnt Hair |
Acidic | Acrid | Formalde hyde |
Vinegar | Rancid Butter |
Burnt Sugar |
Illuminating gas or marigold |
burning rubber | Camphor | Faint Apple |
Burnt wool or hair | Odor of sulfur | Phenol | Phenol | Hydro- chloric acid |
Odor |
| Speed of burning* | Fast** | Slow* |
___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | Slow* | Slow* | Slow* | Slow* | Fast** | Fast** | Fast** | Fast** | Fast** | Slow* | Fast** | Slow* | Slow* | Slow* | Speed of burning |
| Other | Melts & Drips |
___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | Black Smoke w/soot | No Smoke |
Black Smoke w/ soot | Some smoke w/soot | Some black smoke |
Dense smoke w/soot | Black smoke w/soot | Sample burns completely | Slight black smoke | Froths | Black smoke w/soot | Black smoke w/soot | Difficult to ignite smoke | White Smoke |
Other |
| *Speed of burning
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* Slow = < 3 inches per minute **Fast = > 3 inches per minute. |
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| * No Flames | PTFE, CTFE, PVF, FEP | ||||||||||||||||||||
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*Continues to Burn |
ABS, Acrylics, Acetals, Cellulose Acetate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cellulose Propionate,Cellulose Nitrate, Polystyrene, Polyurethane, Polyester | ||||||||||||||||||||
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* Self Extinguishing |
Nylon, Polycarbonate, PPO, Polysulfone, PVC | ||||||||||||||||||||