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| | | Author: | amvdamian  | | Posted: | Nov 7, 2021 14:36 | | Subject: | Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 152 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
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| | | | | Author: | rylie_aitch | | Posted: | Nov 7, 2021 14:59 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 47 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
|
I think it has more to do with exposure to air (oxidization) than exposure to
heat or light. Maybe the faces that weren't yellowed were covered by other
bricks? ...Perhaps your different batches theory is more likely.
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| | | | | | | Author: | SylvainLS | | Posted: | Nov 7, 2021 15:19 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 53 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, ryanaitch writes:
| | In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
|
I think it has more to do with exposure to air (oxidization) than exposure to
heat or light. Maybe the faces that weren't yellowed were covered by other
bricks? ...Perhaps your different batches theory is more likely.
|
AFAIK, it’s actually quite complex. For storage, humidity, temperature, and
UVs are the main parameters but there are surely others.
And there might be the temperature of the mould or humidity in the factory when
the part was moulded or other such parameters.
Many guesses….
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| | | | | Author: | cosmicray | | Posted: | Nov 7, 2021 16:11 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 55 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
|
Glancing at the large image of 9500, I see no exposed white parts. Are they internal
structural bricks ? I've always been of the opinion that UV exposure can
cause white and blue bricks to change hue.
The other thing that jumps out at me is the issue year of 2012. I am aware that
LEGO had different ABS issues during that era (e.g. brittle dk red) so it may
well be that the parts in question came from different batches, and the ABS pellets
were different.
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| | | | | | | Author: | amvdamian | | Posted: | Nov 7, 2021 23:00 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 52 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, cosmicray writes:
| | In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
|
Glancing at the large image of 9500, I see no exposed white parts. Are they internal
structural bricks ? I've always been of the opinion that UV exposure can
cause white and blue bricks to change hue.
The other thing that jumps out at me is the issue year of 2012. I am aware that
LEGO had different ABS issues during that era (e.g. brittle dk red) so it may
well be that the parts in question came from different batches, and the ABS pellets
were different.
|
The set itself was unassembled. The individual bags were still sealed but the
box is gone even from the previous owner.
Just as an example, bag #1 contained two 1x2 inverted bricks. One was yellowed
and the other one not. It does not really bug me that all the light bluish gray
bricks are yellowed, but that one is and the other one isn't. I could not
put yellow components on opposite sides. LOL
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | bobnikolov | | Posted: | Nov 8, 2021 10:34 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 38 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | In LEGO, cosmicray writes:
| | In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
|
Glancing at the large image of 9500, I see no exposed white parts. Are they internal
structural bricks ? I've always been of the opinion that UV exposure can
cause white and blue bricks to change hue.
The other thing that jumps out at me is the issue year of 2012. I am aware that
LEGO had different ABS issues during that era (e.g. brittle dk red) so it may
well be that the parts in question came from different batches, and the ABS pellets
were different.
|
The set itself was unassembled. The individual bags were still sealed but the
box is gone even from the previous owner.
Just as an example, bag #1 contained two 1x2 inverted bricks. One was yellowed
and the other one not. It does not really bug me that all the light bluish gray
bricks are yellowed, but that one is and the other one isn't. I could not
put yellow components on opposite sides. LOL
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Here is the key. The box is gone as you said. Probably the bags have been exposed
to sun damage without the box for some time or continuously. You didn't know
that
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | taxan | | Posted: | Nov 8, 2021 11:27 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 56 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, bobnikolov writes:
| | In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | In LEGO, cosmicray writes:
| | In LEGO, amvdamian writes:
| | Why do some bricks (belonging to the same set, from the same bag) turn yellow
and others don't?
I recently bought an old SW set from ebay (#9500). It looks like the box was
damaged from improper storage but the bags were intact. This is an old set and
I was actually expecting everything to be somewhat yellowed.
When I opened the bags, some bricks of the same shape and color were "yellowed"
but others weren't! Given that it was a starship, it almost looks as if the
finished model was battle-damaged! LOL
It wasn't so much that plastic turns yellow over time that bothers me, but
that some apparently do not? I also happen to collect die cast models with plastic
parts, and in those cases, all plastic components turn yellow over time.
So it baffles me why 3 or 4 of the same brick within the same numbered bag yellowed
and others didn't? Is this merely because of uneven (heat?) exposure or because
they were from different batches in the factory (and therefore the older ones
turned yellow and the newer batches need more time)?
|
Glancing at the large image of 9500, I see no exposed white parts. Are they internal
structural bricks ? I've always been of the opinion that UV exposure can
cause white and blue bricks to change hue.
The other thing that jumps out at me is the issue year of 2012. I am aware that
LEGO had different ABS issues during that era (e.g. brittle dk red) so it may
well be that the parts in question came from different batches, and the ABS pellets
were different.
|
The set itself was unassembled. The individual bags were still sealed but the
box is gone even from the previous owner.
Just as an example, bag #1 contained two 1x2 inverted bricks. One was yellowed
and the other one not. It does not really bug me that all the light bluish gray
bricks are yellowed, but that one is and the other one isn't. I could not
put yellow components on opposite sides. LOL
|
Here is the key. The box is gone as you said. Probably the bags have been exposed
to sun damage without the box for some time or continuously. You didn't know
that
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The flame-retardant material Bromine that LEGO did used for a short time has
come to the surface and makes the part yellowed.
Bromine is Brown in color.
Sunlight or more correct UV-light will only speed up this process.
Part that don't yellowed use a different flame-retardant material that is
Transparent in color.
Have a nice day.
taxan
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| | | | | Author: | tec | | Posted: | Nov 8, 2021 09:58 | | Subject: | Re: Yellowing of bricks | | Viewed: | 37 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| Rule of thumb: the sun can yellow ONLY an exposed side.
You can blame the sun if you have a damaged side and an undamaged other. Like
a yellowed top, but pristine bottom. Or half a plate yellowed, half not (the
half that stayed in the shadow, of course)
etc
No evil djinns reshuffling bricks everyday to get even yellowing, no.
Then, if those bricks are yellowed everywhere, even in the inside walls, well
ok - it's the material (plastic) that aged badly.
anyway, out of curiosity, why not take pics and let us see??
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