Table of Contents
Filament is best kept dry in vacuum bags, a dry box or cabinet or a specialized 3D filament box. You can put it in a food dehydrator or an oven to dry it. A moisture-free environment is ideal for keeping your filament dry. Using desiccants in an enclosed area is the best method.
How do I keep my filament moisture free?
Keeping filament in an airtight container is a must to prevent the absorption of humidity from the air, and the use of vacuum-sealed containers or ones with desiccant is even better.
Does PLA need to be kept dry?
All filaments should be kept in a low-humidity, dry environment. The OP suggests that PLA doesn’t need to be dried.
How do you protect PLA from moisture?
What are the best ways to prevent PLA from absorbing water? Avoid storing unused PLA filament for extended periods (Greater than 12 months). Buy and use just enough to keep you going for the year. Store your PLA filament in an airtight container with some sort of desiccant.
How do you store leftover filaments?
To store filament correctly so that it doesn’t come into contact with moist air, you have three practical and relatively cheap options: Use double-zipped vacuum bags with a valve for sucking the air out with a standard vacuum cleaner. Store your filament spools in transparent storage boxes with sealed lids.
How long does it take for filament to absorb moisture?
Because some 3D printing filaments are hygroscopic, meaning that they absorb moisture from the air, prolonged exposure to even moderately humid room air causes moisture saturation. After 150 hours in standard conditions, PLA filament may swell up to 40 micrometers before reaching its saturation point.
Can you microwave filament to dry it?
Drying your filament in a microwave is similar to boiling it, which wouldn’t be the best idea. Some filaments such as TPU include dipoles in their formation which allow them to get heated quickly, so drying these types of filament in the microwave would be very damaging to the physical properties.
What temperature does filament dry at?
A spool of filament can be dried in a PrintDry filament dryer before 3D printing for storage. The dryer temperature can be set in a range of 35-70°C or 95-160°F. Relative humidity inside the PrintDry filament dryer can go as low as 10% after 2-hour drying.
How often should you dry filament?
Ideally, use an electric oven with good temperature control and leave the filament in for 4-6 hours. If the filament still exhibits wetness (extra stringing, oozing, popping, steam or cracking sounds) while being extruded, then put it back in for more drying.
How important is it to keep filament dry?
Keeping your filament dry results in high 3D print quality, increased accuracy, and many other benefits.
What happens when PLA gets wet?
PLA absorbs water and will weaken slightly when it does. The more moisture in PLA, the weaker it will become. A wet PLA print will have a rougher texture and more imperfections like blobs, bubbly texture, and stringing.
What humidity is best for filament?
The ideal value of moisture in a filament is between 10-13 %.
Do you need a filament dryer?
Filament dryers are essential tools for FDM 3D printing, as they enable you to recover wet filament. Spools of plastic used for printing can be degraded by moisture if left out in open air, yielding poor print quality and fragile parts. This damages the plastic at a molecular level, making drying your filament a must.
Can you use a dehumidifier to dry filament?
I cut the bottom out of two of the trays, and can dry 2 at a time, or recharge a desiccant bag. I use a PrintDry dehumidifier and then store them in PrintDry vacuum boxes. In thick airtight zip-loc bags with silica gel packs wet filament dries out over time.
Does PETG get old?
PETG filament can last a long time if it is stored in a cool place, but if the filament is exposed to heat, it will become brittle and crack, especially when simultaneously exposed to moisture. Most PETG filaments can be stored for 2 years or more before it becomes brittle and cracks.
Does PLA filament have a shelf life?
While in an adverse environment, PLA is said to last between a few months to two years. While PLA is not water-soluble, it has a fairly high rate of water absorbency, or in technical terms, is hygroscopic. Exposure to moisture will lead to poor results when put into your 3D printer with the high-temp nozzle.
How do you preserve PLA?
To ensure your PLA and ABS filament remains dry, just return them to a sealed bag with dessiccant after use. The dessiccant will prevent/slow the material from absorbing moisture. Nylon and more sensitive materials should be stored in an actively dried container.
How do you dehumidify a filament?
Probably the easiest and most common way of drying filament is throwing it in the oven. Just set the temperature to right below the glass transition temperature of the plastic, and leave it in there for four to six hours for the moisture to evaporate. The longer you leave it, the drier it’ll get.
What filament does not absorb moisture?
HIPS: Originally created as a support material, is being used more and more as the main printing filament. Of all filament types, HIPS is the least affected by moisture and some claim it is not hygroscopic.
Why does PLA filament get brittle?
PLA can become brittle if it’s exposed to moisture since it’s a hygroscopic filament, meaning that it absorbs moisture, but being exposed to UV radiation (sun light) will damage it even more, making it lose its color and become brittle, weak, and easy to snap. To avoid this, proper storage is recommended.
Can you dry PLA in the oven?
You can dry your PLA in an oven at a temperature of 40-45°C for 4-5 hours. You can also use a specialized filament dryer for effective drying and storage, along with a food dehydrator as well.
