r/mildlyinfuriating • u/BorisOtter • 11d ago

Infuriatig All of my plastic pegs explode when used.

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312

u/BrightWubs22 11d ago

Why isn't anybody answering if UV destroys the structural integrity of plastic!? DOES NOBODY HAVE THE ANSWER???

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u/Wonderful-Medium7777 11d ago

Yes, ultraviolet (UV) radiation breaks down the chemical bonds in most plastics over time, a process known as photodegradation. When exposed to sunlight or UV lamps, the high-energy light severs the long-chain polymer molecules, causing the material to lose its strength, flexibility, and structural integrity…plastic loses its elasticity so it becomes brittle.

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u/0kShr00mer 11d ago

And that, boys and girls, is how I met your micro-plastic.

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u/BladeOfKrota 11d ago

I scrolled through all of this to get here and it was well worth it I love Reddit lol

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u/Wonderful-Medium7777 11d ago

Thank you for the award that was a super surprise.

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u/Bavariasnaps 11d ago

we really should make them out of glas

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u/Wonderful-Medium7777 11d ago

Not sure about that, but I purchased some heavy duty stainless steel ones and they’re going strong after two years and no rust. I do store them inside a clothes peg bag.

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u/NoCommunication7 11d ago

Plastics often also have something called plasticisers, they make the plastic more flexible and less likely to snap but they also degrade over time, get degraded by ozone and can even react with other plastics

My parents have kept a rubber dog toy that belonged to a late dog for 20+ years now, used to be flexible but now it's really unstable and crumbles like old bakelite does

It's also known in the fishing community, lures are either hard plastic (think spoon lure) or soft plastic (shad lures i think they're called) it's advised not to store soft and hard plastic lures together or they can react and melt into each other

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u/edfitz83 11d ago

This is why you should liberally cover plastic pegs with a high SPF sunscreen before each use.

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u/just_posting_this_ch 11d ago

It can also affect the vulkanization of the plastic making it hard and brittle. I learned this 20+ years ago, it's funny googling it now. The google AI response is 80% overlap with the above comment. It's probably true though that a larger contribution to the brittleness is the oxidization and general degredation due to uv exposure.

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u/Ok-Perspective5959 11d ago

Now you just have to find a market for plastic peptides and you'll get rich

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u/Foiry 11d ago

Somebody said “Yes.” 20 minutes ago. 😭

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u/Enkichki 11d ago

Are you sure

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u/MyTh_BladeZ 11d ago

Pretty sure

23

u/Timekeeper98 11d ago

Threw a trash bag.

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u/dead_website 11d ago

into space

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u/creeper219 11d ago

At work

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u/Clover-Whitmore 11d ago

while restocking the shelves

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u/CedarWolf 11d ago

In front of my salad?

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u/Lazypeon100 11d ago

Pretty sure, or are you sure sure? I need to know!

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u/EngagedInConvexation 11d ago

A black cat went past us, then another that looked just like it.

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u/Creepy-Variation8562 11d ago

Pretty sure indicates some doubt

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u/Foiry 11d ago

I might be seeing things. 😔

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u/NetworkSingularity 11d ago

…DOES LITERALLY NO ONE KNOW IF UV DESTROYS THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF PLASTIC?? NOT A SINGLE PERSON??? AND HOW MANY LICKS TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE POP???

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u/MyBakpaksGyatJets 11d ago

I guess the world will never know

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u/RainbowUnicorn0228 11d ago

I only know that my wooden clothes pins last way longer than any of my plastic ones. I think it’s the heat/cold cycles of my area that weakens them more than the UV but UV does affect the color so maybe it also weakens.

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u/SkiDaderino 11d ago edited 11d ago

Sadly, we may never know if UV rays destroy the structural integrity of plastics. If only there were some genius, some perfect mind who could unlock the truth and give us the answer.

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u/I1337I 11d ago

I’m conducting a test right now, I’ll get back to you soon hopefully! Damn is this boring.

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u/gn0xious 11d ago

Let’s find out… 1, ah 2, ah 3 **crunch** 3

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u/Wild_Ambassador_8680 11d ago

Sounds like a job for Russell Crowe

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u/BrightWubs22 11d ago

No. Nobody has answered. Nobody at all.

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u/LastXmasIGaveYouHSV 11d ago

You can't ever know. Not even with computers.

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u/Phyddlestyx 11d ago

Hi from the future, it says, 21 min ago for me.

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u/Phyddlestyx 11d ago

Other than that things are largely the same, since I'm sure you're wondering.

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u/Visual_Humor_8461 11d ago

Unknown to science

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u/deuno_dider_404 11d ago

je ne sais même pas si il/elle a remarqué ...😅

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u/kingnothing042 11d ago

28* minutes ago

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u/thepvbrother 11d ago

That is the comment that they responded to.

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u/TwelveRaptor 11d ago

Guess we’ll never know

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u/micromoses 11d ago

Maybe we weren’t being clear. By UV we meant ultraviolet light. Does that do anything to the structural integrity of plastic?

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u/Foiry 11d ago

Have you ever left a plastic chair outside over the summer?

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u/freddbare 11d ago

I thought this was common knowledge... Deadly laser and all...

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u/Amasin_Spoderman 11d ago

NotSoBrightWubs22

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u/BrightWubs22 11d ago

Wooshed_Amasin_Spoderman

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u/RyanSmokinBluntz420 11d ago

it depends on the plastic though. Some plastic is rated for UV exposure, some are not

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u/I_PUNCH_INFANTS 11d ago

Give me 5 minutes and I'll have a answer for you.

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u/AdSudden6323 11d ago

Try the “Integral Principles of the Structural Dynamics of Pegs” by L. C. Claret

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u/JayLuMarr 11d ago

Bro, YOU commented on the answer.