Nicht geeignete Materialien/en

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NOT suitable materials (hazardous)

Applies to the CO2 lasers (Trotec, Thunderlaser) and the xTool F1 Ultra.

Basic rules

• Only laser materials whose composition is known. When in doubt, don't.
• Do not laser anything that forms strong acids (especially materials containing chlorine, fluorine or bromine). The acids form inside the machine and destroy the optics, mechanics and electronics before our extraction system cleans the exhaust air.
• Metals only on the xTool F1 Ultra. On the CO2 lasers only with marking spray.
• Fight fires in the laser cutter only with the fire blanket, because water and fire extinguishers cause additional damage to the machine.

Plastics and foams

Material	Examples / trade names	Hazard to	Reason
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other chlorine-containing plastics (PVDC, CPE, Hypalon®)	Vinyl, Forex®, plotter film, banners, truck tarpaulin, oilcloth, credit cards, cable insulation, PVC flooring	People, machine	Forms hydrochloric acid: burns the airways and destroys optics, mechanics and electronics. Chlorinated pollutants up to and including dioxins are also formed.
Polychloroprene (CR)	Neoprene®, wetsuits, laptop sleeves	People, machine	Approx. 40 % chlorine → hydrochloric acid as with PVC. Some "neoprene" is chlorine-free SBR/EPDM, which is only allowed with a data sheet.
Fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers (PTFE, FEP, PFA, PVDF, ETFE, FKM)	Teflon®, Gore-Tex®, thread seal tape, non-stick coatings, Viton® O-rings	People, machine	Forms hydrofluoric acid and highly toxic gases. Even small amounts cause "polymer fume fever", larger amounts cause pulmonary edema.
Flame-retardant plastics, foams and textiles	"flame retardant", B1, UL 94 V-0, electronics housings, insulation boards, stage fabrics	People, machine	Flame retardants are mostly brominated or chlorinated → acids and brominated dioxins. Without a data sheet they cannot be distinguished from halogen-free ones.
Celluloid (cellulose nitrate)	Old table tennis balls (before 2014), old film, guitar pickguards, old glasses and combs	Fire, people	Burns violently and keeps burning even without air, the fire blanket is ineffective. Forms nitric acid and hydrogen cyanide.
Magnetic sheet	Fridge magnets, magnetic signs	People, machine	The binder is usually chlorinated PE or PVC → hydrochloric acid.
Faux leather, foam rubber and foams of unknown composition	Skai®, imitation leather, craft foam, pipe insulation	People, machine	Often contain PVC or chloroprene (see above). Only PU faux leather and EVA foam rubber with a data sheet are allowed.
Polyoxymethylene (POM-C, POM-H)	Delrin®, Hostaform®, Ultraform®	People, machine, fire	Decomposes almost completely into formaldehyde (carcinogenic) and formic acid (attacks metal). Burns with an almost invisible flame.
ABS, ASA, SAN	Housings, toys, 3D-printed parts	People, machine	Forms hydrogen cyanide and carcinogenic acrylonitrile. Melts and soots heavily.
Aramids (PPTA, PMIA)	Kevlar®, Nomex®, Twaron®, cut-resistant clothing	People	Forms hydrogen cyanide and chars instead of cutting.
Polyurethane foam (PU)	Upholstery foam, acoustic foam, Kapa® boards, expanding foam	People, fire	Forms hydrogen cyanide and isocyanates (asthma triggers). Extremely flammable.
Polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS)	Styrofoam®, Styrodur®, Depron®, foam board	Fire, people	Very flammable, drips while burning. Insulation boards contain brominated flame retardants.
Polyvinyl butyral (PVB)	Interlayer film of laminated glass (Trosifol®, Saflex®)	People, machine	Contains no chlorine. The fumes are irritating and smell strongly, the material melts into a sticky mass.

Resins and composites

Material	Examples / trade names	Hazard to	Reason
Printed circuit boards (FR-1 to FR-5, CEM)	PCBs, perfboards	People, machine	Usually brominated flame retardant → acid and brominated dioxins, plus resin fumes. The copper reflects the CO2 beam.
Phenolic and epoxy resins (PF, EP)	Bakelite®, paper-based laminate (Pertinax®), fabric-based laminate, casting resin, resin art, river tables	People	Chars. The smoke contains phenol, formaldehyde, benzene and bisphenol A (study).
Melamine resins (MF)	Resopal®/HPL, coated furniture boards, Basotect®/melamine sponges	People	Forms hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and formaldehyde.
Fiber composites (GFRP, CFRP)	Fiberglass and carbon sheets, fabrics, tubes	People, machine	The resin burns, the fibers remain as irritating dust. Carbon dust is conductive and can short-circuit electronics.

Natural materials and wood-based materials

Material	Examples / trade names	Hazard to	Reason
Chrome-tanned leather	Most commercially available leather	People	Forms carcinogenic chromium(VI), also at the cut edge of the finished piece (skin contact). Use only vegetable-tanned leather, see Identifying leather.
Vulcanized rubber	Rubber mats, hoses, tires, latex, seals	Machine, people	The sulfur forms sulfur dioxide (acid), plus a lot of soot. Exception: Trotec stamp rubber.
Treated wood, reclaimed wood and materials with unknown coatings	Pressure-treated wood, fence posts, railway sleepers, painted furniture and metals, coated pans	People	Wood preservatives, old paints and coatings can contain arsenic, chromium, lead, PVC, Teflon or organochlorine poisons.

Metals

Metals only on the xTool F1 Ultra. Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium as well as galvanized, chrome-plated and nickel-plated parts are allowed there. On the CO2 lasers only with marking spray.

Material	Examples / trade names	Hazard to	Reason
Lead, cadmium, beryllium	Solder, lead sheets, old pewter figures, free-cutting brass, cadmium-plated parts, beryllium copper, BeO ceramics from electronics	People	Highly toxic fumes (nerves, kidneys, lungs, carcinogenic). Also prohibited on the F1 Ultra.
Magnesium	Housings, bicycle parts, fire starters	Fire	Metal fire at over 2000 °C, cannot be extinguished with the fire blanket. Also prohibited on the F1 Ultra.
Metals on the CO2 lasers (without marking spray)	Steel, aluminum (also anodized), copper, brass, aluminum composite panels (Dibond®)	Machine	The beam is reflected and can damage the lens, mirrors and laser source.

Other

Material	Examples / trade names	Hazard to	Reason
Asbestos	Old floor tiles, fiber cement boards, seals, fire protection boards (before approx. 1995)	People	Respirable fibers, strongly carcinogenic.
Rechargeable batteries, batteries, pressure vessels, filled lighters	Mobile phones, power banks, headphone cases, e-cigarettes, spray cans, gas cartridges	Fire	Explosion and fire, battery fires are almost impossible to extinguish. Only engrave removed or empty parts.
Mineral and ceramic fibers	Glass wool, rock wool, ceramic fiber paper	People	Release fibers, ceramic fibers are carcinogenic.

Identifying leather

Around 80–90 % of the leather on the market is chrome-tanned, even if nothing says so. Terms such as "genuine leather", "nappa", "full-grain" or "velour" say nothing about the tanning. Only leather that is explicitly sold as "vegetable-tanned" is safe to use. Otherwise, the following indicators help. They are not reliable proof, and mixed tanning also contains chromium.

Feature	Vegetable-tanned (suitable)	Chrome-tanned (not suitable)
Feel	firm, rather stiff, "solid"	soft, supple, stretchy
Bending / creasing	Crease stays, holds its shape	springs back
Cut edge	uniformly light brown to beige, can be burnished smooth with water	often a bluish-gray core, stays fibrous
Water drop (back or edge)	is absorbed quickly, darkens afterwards	tends to bead up
Smell	earthy, woody	rather neutral to chemical

Boil test (more reliable): Place a small strip in boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Vegetable-tanned leather shrinks noticeably and becomes hard, chrome leather barely changes.

When in doubt, treat leather as chrome-tanned.

Poorly suitable materials

These materials are of little concern to health, but tend to burn or give poor results. Only after consultation.

Material	Examples / trade names	Hazard to	Reason
Polycarbonate (PC)	Makrolon®, Lexan®, multi-wall sheets	Fire, machine	Chars and flares up strongly, a lot of soot, poor edges. The fumes are only moderately harmful to health.
Polyethylene, polypropylene (PE, PP), thicker sheets	Cutting boards, crates, canisters	Fire	Melts and burns easily, the melt drips onto the honeycomb table.
Wool, wool felt, fur, horn, feathers	Wool felt, loden, fulled wool	Machine	Contains sulfur → small amounts of sulfur compounds. Smells strongly. Polyester felt is unproblematic.
Chipboard, OSB	Furniture boards, construction boards	Fire, people	A lot of glue → formaldehyde, strong glowing and flame formation, poor edges.