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Material Safety

Protohaven Approved Laser Material List

(Forthcoming)

Old stuff

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Unapproved material use is prohibited. Failure to comply will lead to revocation of privileges or membership.
Lasering unapproved material could lead to fire other equipment damage or hazardous fumes creating risk to human health.

Quick Reference

Material Danger
Chlorinated plastics (PVC, vinyl, artificial leather, Moleskine notebooks, polymer clay/Sculpey) Emits chlorine gas
Polycarbonate/Lexan Cuts poorly, absorbs laser, discolors, may catch fire
ABS Emits cyanide gas, melts, bursts into flame
HDPE (milk bottle plastic) Catches fire & melts
Polypropylene foam (foam core, Styrofoam) Catches fire
Fiberglass Emits dangerous fumes
Coated carbon fiber Emits dangerous fumes
Pressure treated wood Emits dangerous fumes
Galvanized metal Emits dangerous fumes
Mirrored surfaces, including uncoated metal Will not cut, reflects laser beam

Permitted Materials

Materials Cut Etch Materials Cut Etch
Solid wood X X Mylar sheet X X
Plywood X X Organic Fabrics X X
MDF & LDF (fiberboard) X X Leather & suede X X
Paper, cardstock, cardboard X X Non-chlorinated rubber X X
Cork X X Glass   X
Acrylic X X Ceramic tile   X
Mirrored Acrylic \\(reflective side down) X X Stone   X
Delrin sheet X X Anodized & surface-treated metals   X

Details

Know your Poly*

There are many plastic polymers made of different materials. Some can be lasered, others can not. Make sure you think critically about the words that come after poly.

  • Polyacrylic, Polyester, Polyethylene, Polylactic are generally the good ones. See specifics Below
  • Polystyrene requires vigilant observation so you don't burn down the laser.
  • Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, Polypropylene are ones are the bad ones. See specifics Below

✅ Approved Materials

The following materials are approved for use on the lasers at Protohaven. Some material may be at a higher risk of fire please be mindful of any notes provided.

Cut & Etch
Monitor Closely

The following materials MUST BE monitored closely as they have an increased risk to cause damage to the equipment by causing fire or melting.

Etched Only
  • Glass
  • Ceramic
  • Stone (marble, slate, quartz, etc.)
  • Plaster of Paris
  • Paints and thin spray coatings, thinner than powder coating (General blanket approval, but please use common sense and don't engrave your grandfather's old High Lead Special paint he has stockpiled.
  • Metal (painted/anodized)
  • The laser must not be used over 50% power in this scenario. Reflections can damage the optics.
  • Cermark metal marking compound
  • Plasti-dip

🚫 Prohibited Materials

The following materials must not be used under any circumstances

  • Chlorinated Plastics
  • PVC / Vinyl
  • Artificial Leather
  • Moleskine Notebooks
  • Polymer Clay / Sculpey
  • Pressure Treated Wood
  • PTFE / Teflon
  • Fiberglass
  • Polycarbonate / Lexan
  • AVS
  • HDPE
  • Dry Moly Lube
  • Galvanized Metal
  • Polypropylene / Foam Core, Styrofoam
  • Coated Carbon Fiber
  • Mirrored Surfaces
  • Any material containing a halogen (Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, etc…)
  • Oracal 651 (Contains PVC, Lead, Chromium)
  • Foamular Extruded Polystyrene Insulation
  • Polyurethane
  • Nylon
  • Silicone conformal coating spray from MG Chemicals (contains halogens)
  • Spandex & Stretch (contains polyurethane)
  • Neoprene
  • Uncured powder coating, including:
  • Powdura
  • Black Beauty
  • Speedball Art Speedy Cut, Speedy Cut Easy and Speedy Carve (PVC at minimum)
  • “Laser Rubber” products, such as No-Odor Laser Rubber (RPO 035) and Low Odor Laser Rubber (RUS 001) (Hydrogen Cyanide)
  • Siser P.S. Film (contains polyurethanes)
  • Easyweed Electric Heat Transfer Film (contains polyurethanes)
  • Siser StripFlock P.S. Film (contains PVC)
  • Butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber (Also known as Nitrile rubber, Buna-N, Perbunan, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, and NBR)
  • Rock Salt/Table Salt (contains Chlorine)
  • Epoxy Resin (Formaldehyde, Hydrogen Cyanide)​​​​​​​

Submission of Material For Consideration

To submit a material for approval submit the request to the #lasers channel on Discord. Please provide the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

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