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3D Printing Resin - Disposal of waste


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I have been reading the various threads about using Photon and Elegoo resin printers with interest, and I am very tempted to get one, but one topic that does not seem to have been covered is the safe and legal disposal of cleaning materials, contaminated IPA, etc. which appear to be produced in large amounts.

 

How should such things be disposed of? Is there a cost involved?

 

 

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Hi Ian,

 

IPA will evapourate in air over a period of time. Any resin left on the rags will be cured by the uv exposure of daylight overtime and essentially be the same as most plastic waste.

Similar with water based polymer resins but obviously the time taken will be longer.

 

For my part, and as i have just started using a 3d printer, i have set a builders plaster bucket up in the greenhouse. I hope the heat will evapourate the water and then the rags will be coated in what is left of the cured polymer. I then intend on incinerating the rags in a garden burner over time. I have used a small rag with IPA to clean the printed items post curing and this will recieve the same attention. As i envisage due to the time it takes to print object only doing 5 prints a week max i think this will be achievable.

 

A great tip when removing gloves from a youtube video i watch was here.

 

It would however be great to hear how others deal with the waste .

 

Mark

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I just put everything out in the sun, the IPA evaporates and the resin hardens and sets. I use microfibre cloths to clean the vat and I've been reusing the same one for several weeks without replacement. As long as it is washed in IPA  after each vat clean - I use the IPA that i've just cleaned the parts in -  it stays soft and useable.

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No No No

 

IPA does not evaporate when it has resin dissolved in it. If the mixture is left out in the sun the resin solidifies and it ends up as a semi-solid gel. It is possible to burn off (out side and well away from anything flammable)  the IPA and the residue will commit looking like burnt toast. 

 

The safe way of dealing with this mixture is to contact your local authority and ask about household chemical disposals. In London there is a collection, but in the provinces it may have to be taken to the local tip. 

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Hmmm, maybe its the Australian sun but when I put old IPA that I've used to clean parts in out in the sun here, I definitely don't end up with any gel, just a container with a tidemark on the side where the IPA was.  

Edited by monkeysarefun
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As with any paint thinners etc, if you leave your "dirty" IPA in a sealed jar for long enough, the uncured resin will settle out into a sludge at the bottom. I then decant the IPA into another jar to reuse (using a large pipette to avoid disturbing the resin).

 

That's the point when you can either mop up the sludge on a rag/paper towel, and cure that, or just let the last IPA evaporate and then cure in the jar and bin. I think the key is to let the separation happen in a dark space without UV before you allow it to cure at all.

 

If you try and cure dirty resin directly when the resin is still in suspension, you'll end up with the sludge Bill described.

 

I don't see any reason to have to actually dispose of any quantity of IPA though - just keep reusing it. A certain amount evaporates off as you use it, but I've never had dispose of any directly. I just keep a "clean" and a "dirty" jar on the go all the time. Surely better for the environment, and your wallet.

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12 hours ago, justin1985 said:

As with any paint thinners etc, if you leave your "dirty" IPA in a sealed jar for long enough, the uncured resin will settle out into a sludge at the bottom. I then decant the IPA into another jar to reuse (using a large pipette to avoid disturbing the resin).

 

That's the point when you can either mop up the sludge on a rag/paper towel, and cure that, or just let the last IPA evaporate and then cure in the jar and bin. I think the key is to let the separation happen in a dark space without UV before you allow it to cure at all.

 

If you try and cure dirty resin directly when the resin is still in suspension, you'll end up with the sludge Bill described.

 

I don't see any reason to have to actually dispose of any quantity of IPA though - just keep reusing it. A certain amount evaporates off as you use it, but I've never had dispose of any directly. I just keep a "clean" and a "dirty" jar on the go all the time. Surely better for the environment, and your wallet.

I'm so glad to read that; I thought I was the only one who

recycled white spirit like that after using it to clean paint brushes

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On 01/03/2020 at 08:45, monkeysarefun said:

I just put everything out in the sun, the IPA evaporates and the resin hardens and sets. I use microfibre cloths to clean the vat and I've been reusing the same one for several weeks without replacement. As long as it is washed in IPA  after each vat clean - I use the IPA that i've just cleaned the parts in -  it stays soft and useable.

I just use Metho as its cheaper and does a good job also

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Does the IPA become less effective over time as it absorbs water from the atmosphere? If that happens you should be able to remove the water by adding salt. The IPA and brine will separate into layers.

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29 minutes ago, Yorkshire Square said:
Quote

  On 01/03/2020 at 10:35,  billbedford said: 

IPA does not evaporate at room temperature when it has resin dissolved in it.

Quote
Quote

   5 hours ago,  billbedford said:

The only effective way of removing the resin is by distillation. 

 

29 minutes ago, Yorkshire Square said:

Both of these statements cannot be true.

 

 

Happy now?

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2 hours ago, Andy Reichert said:

As of last year, California regulations no longer allow for the sale of 100% pure IPA.

 

Andy

 

I know they banned denatured alcohol (meths) last year but I didn't know they also banned IPA.

 

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