# Materials & Chemicals Some materials and chemicals for making can be harmful to you and those around you when used in inappropriate ways. For example when some plastics are laser cut, chemicals in the plastic can be converted to acid that is destructive to the machine and dangerous to the operator. Therefore to ensure the safety of all users and staff you can either use approved materials that can be purchased through the Maker Spaces or have the materials and chemicals you wish to work with in the Maker Spaces approved by Maker Spaces management. Further information is provided below. ### Approved Materials Available for Purchase The Maker Spaces provide a range of materials for purchase that are approved and safe to use within the Maker Spaces facilities. These can be purchased at the Guru Desk or specified within Fab Lab job submissions. [Maker Spaces Material List](https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e814a70e-f638-4554-a518-6a9fe37df6bf?tenantId=0e5bf3cf-1ff4-46b7-9176-52c538c22a4d\&source=portal\&screenColor=rgba\(0%2C%20176%2C%20240%2C%201\)) ### Approved External Suppliers The individual Maker Spaces have approved chemicals / materials that can be sourced from external commercial suppliers. It is recommended to work within the bounds of the Maker Spaces approved materials list to avoid delays and hurdles. ### Non-Approved Materials If you wish to use materials and chemicals that are not provided through the Maker Spaces you must have these approved before use. For approval please follow these instructions: * Source the **Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS)** for the material or chemical. This information will detail the potentially harmful risks of the chemical / material and how these risks can be managed. By law all suppliers are required to make this available upon request. * Provide the MSDS along with a sample of the material or chemical and a description of how you intend to work with the chemical / material to Maker Spaces staff for review and approval. Please be aware that providing the MSDS does not guarantee that the chemical/material will be safe to use in the Maker Spaces and therefore may not be approved. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://ms-kb.msd.unimelb.edu.au/msdmaker/training-and-inductions/materials-and-chemicals.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.