Technic Axles Transformed to Red?!

[sama]

So this is a first for me im over 15 years of owning Lego Technic. I usually have an abundance of yellow parts mixed with axles, bushings, you name it. But never had any issue with parts quality other than the few occasional cracked parts due to stress overtime. However I just pulled out a small bin of mostly red parts and found out around two dozen light blue-grey axles have turned red!

What in the world is this? These were all put in a clear bin and lightly packed, not even compressed. Has this happened to anyone else? I mean wow, only these axles were discoloured, not the other 100+ axles. Could it be these were made of different material? Poorer quality? Please give me your input.

 

[Gray Gear]

1 minute ago, sama said:

 

Has this happened to anyone else? Please give me your input.

A lot of my older light buish gray axle connectors have turned into the same weird old looking brownish gray. My axles seem to be fine tho. Parts might be 6-12yo.

[Toastie]

28 minutes ago, sama said:

These were all put in a clear bin and lightly packed, not even compressed.

Input = questions:

Have they been all in the same "bin"?

All with the same exposure to heat/light?

Do they come from the same set/box?

Do they have a comparable life-time? How old are they?

Output:

Yes, it is absolutely possible. Axles are just that: Pieces of plastic, well ABS "compositions", well adapting to chemical change induced by environmental changes as well as initial composition.

LEGO (pieces) does not last forever. Even not when untouched. It keeps on rolling. And it's been such a good time ...

By the way: I personally find it - "matching" or "appropriate" or "timely", when things age. So different shades of gray mostly resemble - e.g. my hair "color" as function of time. It is a very natural thing to happen. For hair as well as for colored ABS. On a different time-scale for ABS per se as well.

And that is good.

All the best
Thorsten

 

 

 

[Saberwing40k]

I've seen part photodegrade/fade, but I've never seen them do this.

[sama]

14 hours ago, Toastie said:

Input = questions:

Have they been all in the same "bin"?

All with the same exposure to heat/light?

Do they come from the same set/box?

Do they have a comparable life-time? How old are they?

Output:

Yes, it is absolutely possible. Axles are just that: Pieces of plastic, well ABS "compositions", well adapting to chemical change induced by environmental changes as well as initial composition.

LEGO (pieces) does not last forever. Even not when untouched. It keeps on rolling. And it's been such a good time ...

By the way: I personally find it - "matching" or "appropriate" or "timely", when things age. So different shades of gray mostly resemble - e.g. my hair "color" as function of time. It is a very natural thing to happen. For hair as well as for colored ABS. On a different time-scale for ABS per se as well.

And that is good.

All the best
Thorsten

 

 

 

All are from 2011. They consist of some model 8110 and 8068 parts (the unimog and the helicopter from 2011). And these aren't just different shades, they are full transfer of colour! It was also kept in my basement where it is constantly one temperature (20° usually on the dot, sometimes 19°), and in a shelf away from light. Judging by the replies in this thread, I maybe the first to have this situation tbh.