How to "make" plastic

Step 5 Safety

Acetone is a very dangerous chemical, read the safety instructions before using it. You should never drink or inhale it. Also, do not do this project near any kind of flames because acetone is very flammable. Wash your hands after touching the uncured plastic or the acetone and don't do anything stupid. Do this project in a well ventilated area, preferably outside.

Here's an extract of the MSDS safety sheet: "May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. Irritant. Liquid may cause permanent eye damage (corneal clouding). Contact with skin may cause defatting, leading to irritation. Long-term exposure may cause liver damage." Wearing gloves is a good idea, but you'll have to use butyl rubber gloves or some other kind of acetone resistant glove. For more information on chemical resistant gloves follow this link.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any harm done to you by your negligence or misinterpretation of this project and by using this information you agree to defend and hold me harmless from any and all claims, demands, damages, costs and liabilities.

Comments

[shannonlove]

Actually, acetone is not a "very dangerous chemical." It poises less of a threat than does gasoline e.g. it's far less flammable and less toxic. We couldn't use it for common purposes like paint or fingernail polish removal if it was truly dangerous.

On the other hand, it is the innocuousness that can poise a long term danger. No one will repeatedly wash their hands over a period of months or years in 1 molar acid because the pain will quickly make them stop but you can wash your hands daily with acetone for years before the loss of subcutaneous fat becomes apparent.

Everything that isn't food should be treated with elementary caution (and even some foods such as peppers.) Every substance known, even water and oxygen can prove lethal in high enough concentrations. It would be stupid to go around in the wild randomly grabbing plants and rubbing them all over your body and you should treat man-made chemicals the same way.

Ordinary caution is fine, indeed it is required for doing any serious work with any natural or artificial chemicals but by treating every chemical as "highly dangerous" you soon lose the distinction between chemicals that harm only in large doses or large exposures and those that can harm in small does and single exposures.

Or as one of my professors put it, "When everything is dangerous, nothing is dangerous."