PVA filament for 3D printer

What is PVA filament?

PVA or polyvinyl alcohol is a water-soluble polymer. It is a synthetic polymer, leaves no odor and is colorless. Thanks to its low toxicity, it can be used in health-related products. It is also a biodegradable material that is used in 3D printers with multiple extruders.

These characteristics make the PVA filament one of the best 3D printing filaments for the creation of media.

PVA and 3D printing

PVA is one of the best materials for creating 3D print media that can be used today.

It is normal for 3D printers to come with only one extruder, so both the part and the media are made of the same material, so removing the media is sometimes a complex and time-consuming task.

However, there are 3D printers with double extrusion that allow the printing of 2 materials at the same time (such as the Ultimaker s3, or Ultimaker s5, or the BCN3D Sigma R19 or BCN3D Epsilon).

With the double material printing, we can print all the supports with PVA filament, so we can remove them simply by submerging the printed piece in water for a few hours.

With this method, not only will you save a lot of time in the elimination of the supports, but you will also avoid leaving marks on the printed piece and you will be able to obtain very complex finishes with 3D FDM printing.

PVA Filament Parameters

In general terms, we can print the filament with the following parameters:

• Nozzle: 180-200 ºC
• Hot bed: 46-60 ºC
• Ventilation: up to 50%.

Try to keep the printing speed slower than normal, about 30mm/sec. If you go faster you run the risk that the material will not adhere properly.

However, as always, we recommend that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations, as parameters may vary.

What other material to print with PVA

This filament works very well with the PLA filament, that is, because its printing parameters are very similar.

PVA Filament Brands

Since it is a material with the specific objective of generating supports, there is not as much variety on the market as for PLA or ABS filament. In some occasions you will be able to find it by the name of “Support”

Esun

The brand based in China, known for its excellent quality in its materials, markets this material under the name:

• ESUN’s PVA

Polymaker

The brand based in China, known for its excellent quality in its materials, markets this material under the name of

• Polysupport Polymaker

Aprintapro

In all cases, you can buy the PVA filament in diameters of 1.75 mm or 2.85 mm depending on the characteristics of your 3D printer.

Why use PVA instead of other support materials?

The main advantage is its solubility in water: just immerse the part in water for a couple of hours (up to 24 hours for larger prints). PVA dissolves completely, leaving you with crisp, clean lines in the hanging areas of the object you have created. Hot water can speed up the process.

PVA Storage

This filament is highly reactive to water, therefore, it is highly recommended to store it in a place without humidity. You will know that your PVA filament coil has acquired moisture, if it bubbles or cracks when printed.

If the material has already acquired moisture, you will need to put the roll to honor at low temperature for a few hours, or use a filament storage.