Does 3d Printer Filament Expire? Right Way to Store Filament/3D Print Filaments Overview

When 3D printing, it is important to know how to store all the materials right. However, does 3D printer filament expire? It is one of the key things you should know to get the best results.

If you do not keep spools properly, it can take a lot of water from the air.

This problem can make the quality degrades over time, cause sputtering and nozzle blockages. Or even worst, it can cause failed prints.

Related:

Does 3D Printer Filament Expire?

Yes and no. Unlike other things, the filament has no specific expiration date.

However, depending on the storage condition, it can go bad, and some people see this is how it expired.

The worse the weather, the faster the material will become poor. If your print quality goes down, the first thing you have to check is your filament.

Depending on the type you use, it can absorb water from the air in many days or even hours.

As a result, only take it from the closed container when really necessary. When you’re done, quickly put it back.

Signs That Your Materials Are At Risk

Firstly, moisture stuck inside the filament can have a bad effect on color, durability, and finish, even a little contact with it can ruin the whole spool.

The finish may appear rough, the color may appear with spots or blurs.

Furthermore, the structure may lose strength and break easily because of the bubbles or holes created when we heat the material.

Moisture can also make bacteria grow.

Different types of filaments will expire at different rates, but the bad effect moisture has on each type is the same. For example, ABS can go bad within a month of being exposed to humidity, while bio-plastics like PETG and PLA can survive from one to two years without going bad.

We recommend you remove moisture from 3D printer material by putting it in an oven at a temperature just below the plastic’s glass transition temperature. Then bake it for 4 to 6 hours to make sure that no water is left inside.

Secondly, easy to break is one of the signs that your product is failing or getting old. It is nearly expired if you can break it easily.

A brittle spool (Source: ecoreprap)

Thirdly, it could be a sign if you hear strange sounds when it passes through the extruder. Steam flowing out can be a warning sign as well.

Can PLA Filament Go Bad? (expired)

Like any other filament, PLA can also go bad if you do not keep it properly.

It is a plastic that holds a lot of water. It has certain signs that will tell you that there is something wrong.

The three basic signs of expired PLA are printer damage, weaker results, and poor print quality.

3D Printer Damage – When PLA takes too much water, it expands, causing the spool to become bigger in size. When fed into your printer, the bigger filament will clog the extruder, thus you need to change it right away. Check for this problem in your filament diameter frequently.
Weak Results – When a material comes in contact with moisture, its tensile strength drops, resulting in weak prints. You can bend some parts of the spool to see if it bends easily and breaks when snapped.

Poor Print Quality — When heated, water held in the filament escapes as steam, making a popping sound. This steam comes with the flow of plastic, resulting in low quality printing. In addition, the adhesion between layers becomes weaker, leading to a mess.

Do 3D Printer Filaments Expire? – How Long Do They Last?

Many users tell that they can leave their spool of ABS or PETG out in the open air for months, if not years, and still print with no visible bad quality. It all depends on the environment in which you put them.

It might not last as long if you leave them by the window in a place where the sun shines brightly for many hours each day and is also humid.

On the other hand, if you keep it in a cool basement with adequate airflow and minimal humidity, and it is not pushed around or dropped all over the place, you may expect it to live a long time.

Some people say that these products can last up to 15 years if you store them under good conditions.

Besides, PLA can last a long time when you keep them away from moisture.

This type of filament is supposed to last anywhere from a few months to two years in a hard environment.

PLA is not soluble, but it can take a lot of water. When you use the high temperature nozzle in your 3D printer, its exposure to moisture will lead to bad results. Luckily, you can get rid of the water using the dry boxes we suggest below:

ABS material, on the other hand, is much stronger, more temperature resistant, and more durable than the other ones. Because of its strength and temperature resistance, it can last longer than PLA when stored under normal conditions.

How To Store Some Common Filaments? (3d print filament type: petg filament/acrylonitrile butadiene)

Because storage is one of the important factors that cause 3D printer materials to expire, you should pay attention to this.

1. ABS

When storing this one, you have to keep it in its original condition. It is the vacuum-sealed box with silica gel or a desiccant packet inside.

If this is not the case, an airtight zipper bag with desiccant can be used for storage.

2. PLA

If you wish to store PLA, you should avoid air or water at all costs.

Because the filament can absorb a lot of water or moisture, you need to keep it somewhere it can’t get wet.

You can also keep it somewhere with a low moisture absorbency.

In a nutshell, you must keep the PLA filament somewhere dry.

You should also make sure it is not directly in the sun.

3. PETG

When you buy this product, it comes in a vacuum-sealed bag that is air-tight to keep moisture and air out.

As a result, it is a good idea to keep the desiccant pack.

It is also a good idea to keep them dry by storing them in an airtight container or bag.

Please keep in mind that this material is water soluble and must be kept dry at all times.

Overall, you should store the ones that you have previously opened in an airtight container. That is the one with the silica packets in it.

Here are some tips that can help you to keep the materials dry while making: 3D Printing – Keep Filament Dry While Printing!? – Tupperware Dry Storage Solution

Does 3D Printer Filament Expire? – What Can I Do?

You can use some things to protect your filament from outside harm.

1 – Vacuum bags

If you have money, you can buy an expensive plastic casing for each spool, make an anti-humidity box on your desk to protect them from moisture, or just choose a vacuum-sealed bag.

They are the ones you see on infomercials where you can store all of your winter items to save space in your home?

Why do you need to use vacuum-sealed bags?

They keep moisture, smells, mildew, and insects away from your priceless filament.

2 – Silica gel

If you are working with PLA and do not want your 3d printer filament expire, you must have silica gel packs.

They may even be included when you purchase new filament, so keep them safe.

Why? PLA, as previously said, absorbs far more water than ABS.

However, because both of them take water, so use these gels for all.

Silica gel packs are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Moreover, it can be re-used after you dry it in the oven.

These, and other similar packs, are not always the best because you can not know when they have been saturated.

However, if you really care about drying out your spools, those packs with moisture saturation indicators may be a better choice.

These go from yellow/orange to green to blue in color (depending on ambient moisture level).

Simply put the gel packs in your zip bags or any other container that will not let air in.

How a gel pack works: Blue means dry while purple is not (Source: 3devo)

In the end, though, keeping the materials dry using silica gel is an easy but good way.

Many people always ask if rice is a suitable replacement. It is not bad, but it is definitely not as good as using these gel packs.

3 – Use your filament

We all know that this product is available in so many various shapes and sizes. If the filament is left in an open place for an extended amount of time, retaining too many and forgetting to use them all, or just not using the ones you have, is not the best choice.

Keep in mind that, depending on the product you use, storing it for more than 12 months can make it absorb water from the air. The best course of action is to purchase only what you require and to use it all within a few weeks or months.

Another tip: Do not buy more than you need

Another simple way to avoid expired filament is to not buying too much or more than you need.

Shops and sellers of these products keep them in extra-secure locations. They have the means to do so in order to have a stock of filament on hand to sell. They will always have high quality stock for their consumers, who are people just like you.

Only buy what you need for the projects you are working on. If you run out of filament, you will be relieved to know that you can quickly get another spool at the greatest quality and stored in the best possible condition from many local shops or online websites.

Does 3D Printer Filament Expire?: Frequently Asked Questions

1 – Can I Print With Old Filament?

Yes, you can print with old 3D filament.

But you must take some safety steps before starting.

First, make sure it is completely dry.

Second, pay attention to the printing temperature and avoid printing at a too high temperature.

2 – Does PLA Filament Has A Shelf Life?

Yes, it does. Because it is a filament made from natural ingredients thus it has shorter shelf life than the others.

It can take from a month to 2 years for PLA to expose to the environment and break down.

3 – Does Printed PETG Absorb Water?

The water in the extruder converting to steam is the main issue with PETG collecting moisture.

With force applied at +100 °C, PETG becomes soft and distorts. Hence, moisture is not a concern with PETG prints due to application.

PLA and PETG both absorb water but do not dissolve in it.

4 – Can Filament Be Too Dry?

It becomes easy to break, almost as though it is too much dry.

The wet filament can also generate popping and splatter sounds when printing.

It is not always true, but when the moisture in the filament gets hot in the extruder’s print head, the moisture in the filament changes to steam and expands, you may hear those sounds.

5 – Why Are My Prints Not Solid?

In many cases, a lack of top layers is the primary reason for non-solid 3D prints. The grid that is supposed to fill the print is to be printed on top of the solid top layer. A thin top layer or a few layers cannot bridge the infill gaps, resulting in a non-solid object.

Conclusion

In any case, you can store 3D printer material spools in your home using any method that is suitable for you.

Always remember the goal is to keep spools from tangling, to keep them from becoming humidified, and to keep them at the right temperature range.

Thus, your models will get the highest quality and last longer this way.

In summary, yes, 3D printer filament expire at different rates. However, if you know the tips to protect them from outside harm, it can last for years.

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