TurboJesus - 13-12-2011 at 22:53
Hello! I was wondering if methyl acrylate can be obtained from an OTC source for instance distilling nail polish/super glue or degradation of PMA. I
don't have access to it and would be a fairly useful reagent.
Dr.Bob - 14-12-2011 at 07:21
Methyl acrylate is a noxious, carcinogenic chemical which will polymerize if not kept cold or inhibited with BHT or the like. It is also a potent
sensitizer. It will not be in many retail products as the monomer, being a regulated compound.
You can depolymerize plexiglas to methyl methacrylate (MMA) by careful distillation, but it will repolymerize within a few hours to days, which is
very handy if you want to make a nice clear paperweight with something inside of it. It is also a bit smelly and nasty, but less than MA. This is
a far more useful compound for experiments, due to its ease production and less toxicity.