Help me derice my car!

livyx95gt said:

Hmmm... That is interesting. I have never seen that. Does anyone know what kind of plastic it is and what the chemistry is behind this?

Click to expand...

Thinner and Reducer are both solvents and solvents eat certain types of plastic. You may have A) in the past used a weaker solvent and hadn't had it in contact with the plastic for very long to cause any noticeable damage, or B) worked with a type of high-density polyethylene (#2 recyclable) or other vinyl based plastics that may have been resistant to the solvent. But rest assured, rubbing it onto a soft type #3-7 non recyclable type, like that used to construct most automotive parts (usually #3) will discolor and/or begging to break it down in a matter of seconds.

Not all plastics are created equal….

Different Grades (types) are used for different purposes

Type 2 – HDPE (high-density polyethylene) recyclable bottles, (ex those used for storing Bleach, household cleaners, solvents, etc)
Type 3 – PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) plastics <----------- the bezel is likely made from some variation of this and is most susceptible to break down.
Type 4 - grocery bags
Type 1 and 5 – PET (Polyethylene) soda bottle tops, polyester clothing, rugs, etc
Type 6 - Plastic utensils
Type 7 – Styrofoam and polystyrene, other

How’s that for your Chemical breakdown?