# Dying Gans Air



## TWN (Oct 30, 2016)

Hey guys. As you might know already thecubicle has a limited edition grim reaper Weilong. I thought it looked really good and I love orange on black. I wanted to do that on my gans air but don't want to damage performance. What should I use to do this or will it damage my puzzle?


----------



## 4Chan (Oct 30, 2016)

Alright, here's what you're going to have to do.
Without giving away any secrets, here's how I approached the problem. 
_(Disclaimer, you may need at least one degree in chemistry)_
Here are some MAJOR hints.


Step 1: Identify what type of plastic you're dealing with. Then read through some common MSDS sheets or materials databases to understand what solvent you should be working with.
A lot of waterbased dyes won't work, because obviously rubik's cubes are organic polymers. If you're using an organic dye, you must choose a solvent that won't completely solvate, swell, or destroy your polymer. Remember the goal here is to just reach the top mm of the plastic. Is there a way to use a mild solvent with mild dyes? If so, how would you approach that?

Step 2: Once you've picked your solvent system, you must figure out the right temperature. Remember that dyeing is a thermodynamically driven process, so you'll have to work with the right temperatures. Remember bath effects and temperature gradients. For best results you'll need to figure out how to compensate for that. How will your vessel contain and circulate everything?

Step 3: Now that dye is on the plastic, how are you going to preserve that? Are you going to use a fixative? Which will you pick? What compounds naturally bind to the plastic? You must consider the functional groups at play on the dye, as well as on the surface of the plastic.


Bonus question: Does pH and salt concentration effect the kinetics of the reaction? How do you scale the reaction up for mass production?



This test is scored out of 100 points, please turn it in at the end of class to the TA.
Good luck and have fun, I'll see you all next semester.


----------



## TWN (Oct 30, 2016)

4Chan said:


> Alright, here's what you're going to have to do.
> Without giving away any secrets, here's how I approached the problem.
> _(Disclaimer, you may need at least one degree in chemistry)_
> Here are some MAJOR hints.
> ...



Thanks Chris(Luluco) im surprised that you replied and I really appreciate it. Hope you create more cool stuff in the future


----------



## TWN (Oct 31, 2016)

Oh and im taking chemestry in school right now so if I ace the regents(test in New York) Ill hand in the answers.


----------



## 4Chan (Oct 31, 2016)

TWN said:


> Oh and im taking chemestry in school right now so if I ace the regents(test in New York) Ill hand in the answers.



Ohhh! Nice!
Your chemistry teacher probably would be able to help find the right dye and solvents!


----------

