Talk:Polybutylene terephthalate
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PB Plumbing
editThis type of plastic gained noteriety when builders began using it for interior plumbing in the late 70s. PB or PolyB pipes are flexible and easier to work with than copper or PVC pipes, as well as being cheaper. However, the plastics degrade when exposed to UV and chlorinated water. The acetal resin-based fittings eventually degrade, and the aluminum crimp rings, used to hold the pipe to barbed fittings, eventually become loose and leak.
A number of class action lawsuits were opened to address damages to consumer's houses.
The rings were changed to copper, the crimp design was changed, and the fittings were changed to copper or brass. This has made PB fittings much more stable. There are still questions about the actual pipe, however. It is thought that the pipe may be permanently damaged if it is left exposed to sunlight for extended periods while in storage or on the job site.
Good information, including pictures: http://accuspec.biz/PB%20Plumbing.htm
Class action lawsuit information: http://www.pbpipe.com/
BPA
editThere is no BPA present in polybutylene terephthalate, so i'm removing the Health effect section that claims BPA is released. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wolframite74 (talk • contribs) 17:27, 3 April 2013 (UTC)
Clarification re. ambiguity around susceptibility to ultraviolet degradation
editThere was a "contradictory" tag added to this page re. a perceived inconsistency between the header section (stating that PBT requires UV protection if used outdoors), versus the applications section (stating that PBT is highly resistant to UV discoloration). I tweaked the wording and resolved the tag on the following bases: (1) the first application is outdoors whereas the second is generally indoors, where UV levels are substantially lower, (3) the keyboard application is making an implicit comparison to other plastics used for this purpose (the conventional alternative is ABS, which is highly susceptible to UV-induced discoloration), so I adjusted the wording to make that explicit, and (3) I also added a citation for the relative UV resistance of PBT vs ABS, though it would be great if a better source was found.