Plastic storage boxes are used in just about every walk of life imaginable in helping people keep their homes and work areas clean and organized. There are many advantages that come from using them, especially when compared to storage containers that are made from other materials. However, there are some instances where using plastic storage boxes is not appropriate. This article will discuss three of these instances, so that you can make a more well-informed decision as to whether these containers are right for you.
Plastic storage boxes should never be used in baking. Plastics are not capable of withstanding the extremely high temperatures of an oven, some of which approach 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of them melt at these high temperatures. There are some plastics that don’t melt, but instead they char and burn, and possibly leak harmful chemicals into the food. When baking, you are much better off using either glass, metal, or ceramic cookware. Never use plastic storage boxes in extremely high temperatures.
Plastic containers should never be used to store acetone. Acetone is a solvent that is used heavily in the plastics and composites industries. It is used as a thinner for fiberglass resins, a solvent that is used to dissolve two-part epoxies that are used in garage floor covering applications, a degreaser in the surface preparation of metals, and a cleaner for tools that are used in fiberglass manufacturing. It is also used in the removal of acrylic fingernails. The chemical structure of acetone contains both polar and non-polar regions, meaning that it will attack and dissolve materials of both polar and non-polar compositions. Due to this, most plastics are vulnerable to solvent attack when exposed to acetone for prolonged periods of time. For this reason, plastic containers should never be used to store acetone.
Plastic storage boxes should never be used in cryogenic environments, where temperatures are extremely low, approaching -238 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, plastics lose all of their ductility and become extremely brittle. Instances of when cryogenics are used include the long-term storage of large amounts of food, where cryogenic gases like liquid nitrogen are used to keep foods frozen. Another instance of the use of cryogenics is the storage of rare blood types. Due to its brittleness at extremely low temperatures, plastic storage containers should never be used in cryogenic environments.
These are just a few instances where plastic storage boxes should not be used. They should not be used in extreme temperatures that will alter their physical properties, and they should not be exposed to substances that could damage them over time. As long as your plastic storage boxes are not exposed to either of these two conditions, you should probably be able to use them without a problem.