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[Terry]

I have a Robbe Sirius yacht. After many years on the water the plastic deck is starting to look very yellow, sunburn I guess. I would like to spray it. Can anyone tell me what this plastic is, and what paint would be suitable.


Cheers, Terry.

[Neil]

HIPS...............High Impact PolyStyrene..........aka  commonly known as ABS.........


The discolouring is caused by the sunlight infra red rays affecting the plastic after, as you say, many years...........and the plastic deteriorates and goes brittle with age.

[malcolmfrary]

Like Neil says, it has gained a suntan over the years.  The theoretical brittleness is probably not that severe.  For painting, proper preparation and Humbrol enamel and a good hair brush would be my choice.  Or a trip to Halfords and their acrylic products if I wanted a complicated life.  But since Humbrol moved production back to the UK to "improve quality control" a few years ago, they have become respectable again.
..........Just noticed your whereabouts - it might be a long trip to your nearest Halfords, but I am sure that there will be a local equivalent.

[TailUK]

Here is an opportunity to settle this.  ABS and HIPS are not the same kind of plastic.  While Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is part of the Styrene group of plastics the addition of Polybutadiene make it about twice as strong as the High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS). 
At a guess I'd suggest that the deck is made of HIPS because it seems to be Robbe's plastic of choice and they often don't use a UV stable version which leads to the yellowing and the brittleness that accompanies it.   A light wet and drying and a couple of coats of a suitable primer and top coat will slow the degradation down.  if it's any consolation, unless it UV stable, an ABS deck would probably have gone the same way.

[Brian60]

Here is an opportunity to settle this.  ABS and HIPS are not the same kind of plastic.  While Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is part of the Styrene group of plastics the addition of Polybutadiene make it about twice as strong as the High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS). 
At a guess I'd suggest that the deck is made of HIPS because it seems to be Robbe's plastic of choice and they often don't use a UV stable version which leads to the yellowing and the brittleness that accompanies it.   A light wet and drying and a couple of coats of a suitable primer and top coat will slow the degradation down.  if it's any consolation, unless it UV stable, an ABS deck would probably have gone the same way.

I was just going to say this. If HIPS was ABS, all of those gutters, fall pipes, waste pipes and other associated building products would have been falling apart years ago. ABS has a significant life span in all weathers, as has Upvc. HIPS becomes brittle and ages quickly when exposed to sunlight - a decent coat of paint prevents this.

[Neil]

I did say, guys..........."commonly known as ABS"...............didn't actually state that HIPS was ABS

[Martin (Admin)]

Some Robbe yacht hulls were made of "Plura".... still ABS?

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=195.0

[TailUK]

I've looked in the references we have at work and can't find any reference to "Plura" it may be a German brand. so I can't say for certain that it's ABS or HIPS but as it has to be formed somehow for boat hulls it either a brand name for HIPS or it's some formulation of ABS that make it easier to form.  Most of the ABS types are designed to be extrusion moulded for things like double glazing or guttering.