# Resin smell from Fiberglass toxic to PDF?



## ihatecomputers (Jun 20, 2011)

I bought one of these kritterz hollow hideways (Kritterz Hollow Hideaways). I boiled it for 10 minutes because it was in my box turtle's environment before. It has some odd resin smell from it. Is that smell toxic to PDFs? It claims it was made from resin and I think I'm being overly cautious, but wanted to confirm with the experts here.


Thanks,

Travis


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## ihatecomputers (Jun 20, 2011)

any input?


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

I can't give you a definitive answer, but if it's got a chemical smell I wouldn't chance it. Let it air out for a bit first until the smell goes away. 

That said, if you're not sure then there's always cocohuts and driftwood. Both of which mesh in nicely with the plants in a viv (as the plants grow all over them...) and provide shelter.


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## CVB (May 30, 2011)

Fiberglass resin structures are usually either polyester or epoxy resins, at least so far as I have encountered or built myself. Epoxy is less toxic (as polyester cures using methyl-ethyl-ketone-peroxide and other nasties) and is thermosetting, meaning it gets hard when it gets hot (that's what she said) and stays that way. Polyester, on the other hand, tends to be thermoplastic, meaning it will soften again once reheated, though some may behave like epoxy. Regardless, epoxy tends to be more resistant to just about everything, as well as more durable, however it is also more expensive.

With all that in mind, boiling water isn't very hot, and I'd generally expect epoxy to withstand it with no issue (most seem to say it is pretty stable up to 350F or so, which is waaay above boiling water). It may be the case that this ornament is polyester, in which case heating it up a lot might be weakening and damaging it. Another possible case is that the smell is from a coating or paint in it, and it may be cooking off of it. Without knowing exactly what resin it is made of, I would probably recommend letting it sit until the smell goes away and thoroughly washing it with lukewarm water, then inspecting it for any damage. If something looks a bit melted, pitted, or crazed, I might worry a bit, but most of the materials I'd think they'd use should not remain hazardous after a bit of a cooking.

I would be wary of using too much of any polyester resin product where it is exposed to water one might find tads in, however, as it may leach small amounts of MEKP over time if cured in that fashion (as most Home Depot bought resin stuffs are, when hand made).

Someone with a stronger background in materials can likely give a better answer. In short, I'd wash it thoroughly, wait for the smell to fade entirely. Any chemical odor should be treated with great suspicion and assumed to be toxic unless you are SURE otherwise.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Always better to error on the cautious side IMO.


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## ihatecomputers (Jun 20, 2011)

All good information. Thank you for your replies! I decided to let it air out and its fine.


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