A Quantitative Study of 3D Printing Filament Moisture Content in Humid Environment
Location
Poster Session 2 (Henderson Library)
Session Format
Poster Presentation
Your Campus
Statesboro Campus- Henderson Library, April 20th
Co-Presenters and Faculty Mentors or Advisors
Haijun Gong
Lianjun Wu
Abstract
3D printing has gone though many advancements enabling it to become a household addition for many consumers. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) based 3D printers are by far the most popular option due to their ease of converting digital designs into tangible objects. FDM 3D printer works on the principle of filament (normally a thermoplastic polymer) being extruded through a heated nozzle to deposit melted layers that cool on top of each other. Most 3D printing filaments in FDM printing are hydroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture. What most consumers pay little attention to is that the humid environment (such as garage or some laboratories) can negatively affect their filament performance and cause warping and porosity in their prints.
The purpose of this study is to quantify the moisture content of commonly used 3D printing filaments (including PLA, ABS, Nylon, and PEEK) and understand the effects of moisture levels in common. Knowing when the filament has reached a level of moisture content that lends itself to printing complications can help the user identify problems that arise when printing. The 4 filament types were exposed to a constant humidity condition but varied immersing time, then tested for their moisture content and used to create prints to expose the effects on print quality.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Presentation Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Start Date
4-20-2022 1:30 PM
End Date
4-20-2022 3:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Runzi, Michael T., "A Quantitative Study of 3D Printing Filament Moisture Content in Humid Environment" (2022). GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium. 20.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2022/2022/20
A Quantitative Study of 3D Printing Filament Moisture Content in Humid Environment
Poster Session 2 (Henderson Library)
3D printing has gone though many advancements enabling it to become a household addition for many consumers. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) based 3D printers are by far the most popular option due to their ease of converting digital designs into tangible objects. FDM 3D printer works on the principle of filament (normally a thermoplastic polymer) being extruded through a heated nozzle to deposit melted layers that cool on top of each other. Most 3D printing filaments in FDM printing are hydroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture. What most consumers pay little attention to is that the humid environment (such as garage or some laboratories) can negatively affect their filament performance and cause warping and porosity in their prints.
The purpose of this study is to quantify the moisture content of commonly used 3D printing filaments (including PLA, ABS, Nylon, and PEEK) and understand the effects of moisture levels in common. Knowing when the filament has reached a level of moisture content that lends itself to printing complications can help the user identify problems that arise when printing. The 4 filament types were exposed to a constant humidity condition but varied immersing time, then tested for their moisture content and used to create prints to expose the effects on print quality.
