Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:32:48 +0000 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301546#Comment_301546 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301546#Comment_301546 Fri, 12 May 2023 19:19:36 +0100 mitchino
I've found I can glue, cut, file, sand and paint them and get a good result, but I'm concerned about the dust and bits I'm creating and the environment.

I know they use expanding foam to build sets in the movie industry, how do they get around the problem? And if I am to use polystyrene or the rigid insulation, which one is the least bad for the environment?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301548#Comment_301548 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301548#Comment_301548 Fri, 12 May 2023 22:01:09 +0100 Mike1
In theory there are places that recycle polystyrene, although I seem recall another discussion here where most of the supposed recycling points weren't interested (unless you delivered it to them?).]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301551#Comment_301551 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301551#Comment_301551 Sat, 13 May 2023 10:29:13 +0100 fostertom http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301553#Comment_301553 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301553#Comment_301553 Sat, 13 May 2023 10:58:48 +0100 djh Posted By: fostertomI was asonished to read that PIR biodegradesYou're not confusing Post Industrial Recycled waste with some old insulation by any chance? If not, I'd be interested to read the article.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301557#Comment_301557 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301557#Comment_301557 Sat, 13 May 2023 13:06:50 +0100 fostertom http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301560#Comment_301560 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301560#Comment_301560 Sat, 13 May 2023 16:21:16 +0100 RobL Nichrome wire, 0.4mm thick, is a good starting point. You can even get rectangular sections of wire that can form small curves. Thicker wire snaps less, but needs higher current, longer wire needs more volts. You need a beefy power supply (the expensive part) - best is to buy/borrow a ‘bench’ supply that is adjustable over maybe 0-60v 0-10A. I have one that is configurable 0-30V 0-6A or 0-60V 0-3A, which is good enough for approx 30cm lengths of 0.4mm wire at around 5A, and 100cm ish lengths of 0.3mm dia wire at around 3A. Get the wire orange hot, then back off a bit.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301564#Comment_301564 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301564#Comment_301564 Sat, 13 May 2023 19:39:29 +0100 Victorianeco http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301565#Comment_301565 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301565#Comment_301565 Sat, 13 May 2023 20:08:38 +0100 tony http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301567#Comment_301567 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301567#Comment_301567 Sat, 13 May 2023 20:31:49 +0100 djh Posted By: VictorianecoHow bad would cutting PIR be without using a mask?Why would you want to?]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301569#Comment_301569 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301569#Comment_301569 Sat, 13 May 2023 20:38:52 +0100 owlman Posted By: tonyI would try using extruded polystyrene, XPS

+1
XPS would be my choice too, Styrofoam is widely used for sculpting.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301570#Comment_301570 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301570#Comment_301570 Sat, 13 May 2023 21:30:07 +0100 fostertom http://www.alloywire.com/resistance-wire.html are expert at supplying types of hot-wires.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301571#Comment_301571 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301571#Comment_301571 Sat, 13 May 2023 23:57:37 +0100 WillInAberdeen Posted By: fostertommicrobes found that can digest PUR
Very many different molecules can be joined together with urethane bonds, also called carbamate, so there are very many different kinds of polyurethane. Some are easily biodegradable.

Unfortunately PUR insulation boards, are not (yet) a biodegradable kind of PUR.

In future, insulation might be made of a biodegradable version of polyurethane, then microbial enzymes could be used to 'melt' it down for reuse. The excited article in a certain newspaper last week about 'microbes that eat plastic', didn't really explain this! Science journalism is not their strong point any more ...]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301573#Comment_301573 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301573#Comment_301573 Sun, 14 May 2023 09:17:34 +0100 fostertom
Where degradation must mean complete reduction to organic molecules, not just breaking into smaller pieces, which are lethal to wildlife. I am horrified to find endless small bits of plastic in the soil of our veg garden, which used to be virgin meadow, so is all our doing. All of this has to be cleaned up, in soil, sea and prob even air.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301574#Comment_301574 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301574#Comment_301574 Sun, 14 May 2023 11:14:48 +0100 WillInAberdeen
Man has been making and discarding steel and other metals for 1000s of years. Thermodynamics says there's a lot of energy tied up in steel, which an enterprising microorganism could swarm all over and gobble up.

But there still aren't m/any organisms that eat steel, afaik. Biochemistry says that it's difficult for an organism to get its digestive chemicals into steel.

Same with plastic. There are millions of different kinds of plastic, all with energy tied up in them which bugs could feast on, but many of the common ones are biochemically difficult for a bug to take a first bite out of.

Some biodegradable plastics have chemical features which are also found in natural polymers (wool, proteins, cellulose etc) so offer bugs a way to get started on digestion.

Some kinds of poly 'ester' or 'ether' are promising. The newspaper article about 'bugs eating plastic' was actually about a polyester-based version of PUR.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301575#Comment_301575 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301575#Comment_301575 Sun, 14 May 2023 11:52:47 +0100 djh https://www.ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/vision/green-energy/
https://plasticenergy.com/]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301577#Comment_301577 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301577#Comment_301577 Sun, 14 May 2023 12:18:35 +0100 CWatters
There are some cellulose based insulation foams but I don't know what availability is like.

There are also some wood fibre based insulation products that might work but harder to use for the OP...

https://www.ecomerchant.co.uk/walls/insulation/wood-fibre-rigid.html

I think in the OP case I would sweep/vacuum up the dust, and put it out for general rubbish collection. Sad but.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301579#Comment_301579 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301579#Comment_301579 Sun, 14 May 2023 15:27:21 +0100 WillInAberdeen Redesign
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Dispose


Seems to me there is a lot of interest in recycling and (bio) disposal of plastics. But that is focused on the wrong end of the waste hierarchy.

One of the disappointing aspects of the failed bottle deposit scheme in Scotland, is the returned bottles will not be reused, the scheme just replaces kerbside recycling.
No incentives to redesign packaging to make it less harmful, or to rethink overpackaging.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301580#Comment_301580 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17840&Focus=301580#Comment_301580 Sun, 14 May 2023 15:33:24 +0100 fostertom Posted By: CWattersI would sweep/vacuum up the dust, and put it out for general rubbish collection. Sad but.Not too bad - in future I'd expect that landfills will be re-quarried for all sorts of materials, as automated sorting becomes more able to distinguish and collect small quanties of an ever-growing range of materials incl different plastics, and economic. So landfilling much better than burning for energy.]]>