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Identification of plastics by burning
» Download a plastic identification table in PDF format
Item | Abbreviation | Combustibility | Burn test Flame colour |
Odour of smoke | Change in material |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Polyethylene | PE | Continues to burn | Light yellow, blue in the centre |
Styrene or paraffin | swells and drips |
Polyamide | PA | Partly self-extinguishing | Blue, yellow edges | Burning bone or wool | Melts and drips strongly |
Polyacetal | POM | Continues to burn | Blueish, almost invisible | Acrid ammonia | Swells, may drip |
Polyethylene terephthalate | PET | Self-extinguishing | Yellow, smoky | Sweet | Black ash |
Polypropylene | PP | Continues to burn | Light yellow, blue in the centre |
Burned oil | Swells and drips easily |
Polyvinylidene fluoride | PVDF | Difficult to ignite | Yellow | Dangerous to breathe |
Chars |
polytetrafluoroethylene | PTFE | Difficult to ignite | Yellow | Dangerous to breathe |
Swells and chars |
Polycarbonate | PC | Self-extinguishing | Clear with smoke | Very sweet | Bubbles and chars |
Polyvinyl chloride | PVC | Self-extinguishing | Yellowish green | Acrid hydrochloric acid |
Swells and drips easily |
Acrylic (extruded) |
PMMA | Self-igniting | Yellow, blue stripe | Sweet | Bubbles, may drip |
Acrylic (cast) |
PMMA | Self-igniting | Yellow, blue stripe, crackles |
Sweet | Bubbles, may drip |
Polystyrene | PS | Self-igniting | Bright, yellowish red, Smoke and soot |
Sweet | Swells and drips |
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene |
ABS | Burns poorly | Yellow, blue in the centre smoke and soot |
Slightly sweet | Swells and chars a little |
Polyurethane | PUR | Self-igniting | Bright yellow | Acrid, unpleasant | May drip |