On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:43:34 +0100, Syd H. Levine
<
wireline@...> wrote:
> Ethanol will most definitely attack polystyrene and its cousins. If you
> have not noticed it, it is because you have not been handling true
> polystyrene. It does not attack most other plastics. My paper towel
> dispensers in the shop are polystyrene, and if my fingers are wet with
> ethanol, they will stick to the darn things and leave fingerprint marks.
I just tried, with a solid polystyrene cup (marked), expanded polystyrene
foam (marked), and ABS.
None of these plastics shows any reaction whatsoever, when exposed for
like a minute or so. I have rubbed the ethanol around with my finger and
there was no stickyness, nor was there any surface disturbance after
drying.
So you are either mistaken (solvent not ethanol or towel holder not PS),
or your ethanol is denatured with something agressive. I was told they
used to denature it with petrol in some places.
I'm sorry, but it's just not happening. I have used different brands of
denatured ethanol here for at least 10 years, regularly on ABS and PS with
no adverse effects. Some of my parts boxes are styrene plastic, and i
remove obsolete markings all the time with ethanol.
ST