Water-washable resins enable you to rinse your 3D printed parts with tap water instead of alcohol. Read on and find out the best options!
A More User-Friendly Option
Resin 3D printing is capable of producing exceptionally detailed parts. However, it’s not all that glorious when it comes to post-processing resin parts.
Resin 3D printing has always been a bit messy since liquid chemicals are involved in the process. In that respect, it’s never been much of a user-friendly 3D printing technique.
After printing, but before the curing process, parts need to be cleared of residual liquid resin left on their surface. That’s usually done with isopropyl alcohol (IPA). IPA is the best and most popular cleaning solvent, but in case you can’t find it, tripropylene glycol methyl ether (TPM) also works.
When dealing with chemicals such as alcohol, one must take safety into account, as alcohol is flammable and can cause harm to one’s skin. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just use water instead? This question was how the idea for water-washable resins was born.
The exact formulations of water-washable resins are obviously kept a secret by manufacturers. However, what sets water-washable resins apart from a regular resin is that a certain percentage of a water-soluble ingredient is added to the mixture, enabling the resin to be rinsed with tap water.
In this article, we’ve pulled together a list of the best options for water-washable resins. But first, let’s talk a bit more about how these types of resin compare to regular resin as well as safety.
Part Performance
The differences between the formulations of regular and water-washable resins result in different mechanical properties of parts. Because all water-washable resins contain a water-soluble ingredient, printed parts will have a certain level of sensitivity to water. This makes them impractical for use in wet environments.
Furthermore, parts made with water-washable resins are generally more likely to crack because water can get absorbed within certain areas. In time, that area can “swell”, forming a crack. This issue is present with water-washable resins from various manufacturers, though you can avoid it by trying to design or slice your parts with different parameters, such as thicker walls.
Overall, parts made with regular resin tend to show greater long-term stability.
Safety
After rinsing your 3D printed parts with water, the residual water will contain substances from the resin, which can harm the environment. Instead of throwing that water down the drain, leave it exposed to either sunlight or UV-light for at least half an hour, depending on the intensity of the sun.
This is a very important step as resin can hurt aquatic life if it ends up in the seas via your drain. Anycubic even stated that they won’t be making a water-washable resin since it’s very harmful for the environment when uncured. However, this isn’t completely true since there’s no significant harm done if you dispose of resin correctly.
By letting the residual water (with bits of resin in it) sit in the sun, you’ll enable the formation of solid resin particles, which can then be extracted from the water with a filter. When that’s done, dispose of the (cleaned) water and throw the filtered resin (plastic) particles in a corresponding bin.
As always when handling resins, we strongly suggest that you use protection. Specifically, gloves are a must, and glasses are optional. This applies to water-washable resins as well. Being water-washable doesn’t mean you can touch uncured parts without gloves!
Elegoo
Elegoo’s water washable resin is surely among the most popular. It’s compatible with the majority of resin 3D printers and comes in a variety of colors.
If 1,000 grams of resin is too much for your needs, there’s a 500-gram size, too. Once the cap is opened, you’ll notice that its smell is present but bearable.
Many people have had positive experiences with this resin. The level of detail is comparable to Elegoo’s regular resins, so that’s a good sign. This resin produces smooth surfaces with a bit of a “rubbery” feel.
If you go ahead and print with it, you’ll notice that the parts are just a tad more brittle than those made with regular resin. Once you print your parts, we recommend taking a toothbrush to brush the residual resin away while the part is in a water bath.
Overall, we’d say that this resin has a good price-quality ratio. Its main downside is that models tend to be a bit brittle.
- Curing time: 8 seconds
- Hardness: 80D-85D
- Wavelength: 405 nm
- Sizes: 500 g, 1 kg
- Colors: Beige, black, clear blue, clear green, clear red, grey, white, yellow
- Price: Varies by color
- 500 g: ~$23 for gray; ~$24 for beige, black, clear green, clear red, and white; ~$25 for clear blue and yellow,
- 1 kg: ~$43 except for gray and black, which are ~$37
PrimaCreator Value
This water-washable resin is a product from a Sweden-based brand named PrimaCreator. This resin is compatible with many resin 3D printers thanks to the fact that polymerization occurs between 395- and 405-nm wavelength.
It’s more expensive than the previously mentioned Elegoo resin, but it shines when it comes to durability. Judging by the feeling when trying to break two identical models, one made from PrimaCreator standard resin, and the other with water-washable, it’s tough to notice any difference. The only thing is that the water-washable resin has less smell!
There’s a decent amount of colors to choose from, and these resins are available in the usual 500-ml or 1,000-ml bottles. Because PrimaCreator Value has its warehouse in Europe, this resin is a practical choice for European customers since deliveries are fast. In case you decide to try it out, chances are you’ll be quite happy.
- Curing time: 4-8 seconds
- Hardness: 85D-88D
- Wavelength: 395-405 nm
- Sizes: 500 ml, 1,000 ml
- Colors: White, clear, black, chromatic silver, transparent green, transparent red, light gray, skin
- Price: ~$43 for 500 ml, ~$71 for 1,000 ml
Phrozen
Phrozen is a manufacturer of LCD resin 3D printers as well as resins. Among several different types of resin, they also offer a water-washable resin. It was mainly developed for Phrozen’s 3D printers, which utilize a 405-nm wavelength light source. It’s compatible, however, with all other 405-nm printers as well.
Does it smell? Well, a bit, but less than a regular resin, that’s for sure.
Curing is fast, measuring 7 seconds for the Phrozen Shuffle resin 3D printer, and an unbelievable 1.5 seconds for the Sonic series printers.
It’s a shame that only two colors are available for this resin since it achieves fine detail. Perhaps the biggest downside of this resin is that it could take you some time to get the settings right. Specifically, it has a tendency to warp if settings are not perfect. However, once the right settings are in place, it’s a very good option.
- Curing time: 1.5-7 seconds
- Hardness: 76D-77D
- Wavelength: 405 nm
- Sizes: 1 kg
- Colors: Black, gray
- Price: ~$37
eSun
At first sight, eSun’s water-washable resin feels more premium than the above-mentioned resins. That’s because it’s packed inside an aluminum bottle, which is protected with thick bubble wrap.
Once you open the bottle, you’ll notice the resin’s smell, but it’s far from what you’d call an intense resin odor. Models made with this resin have a nice, vibrant color.
When it comes to details, we’d say that’s where this resin truly shines. What’s not so great is the durability. Similar to the Elegoo resin, the models are simply a bit brittle.
Sometimes, it might be difficult to find eSun’s resin in stock, but if you’re planning on making detailed models and don’t want to use IPA for cleaning, this resin is a strong contender.
- Curing time: 6-8 seconds
- Hardness: 76D
- Wavelength: 395-410 nm
- Sizes: 500 g
- Colors: Clear, white, yellow, beige, gray, black
- Price: ~$35
SainSmart
SainSmart water-washable resin is a good choice because it’s compatible with lots of resin 3D printers, produces nice detail, and it’s reasonably priced.
In fact, it’s quite similar to eSun, especially because of pricing and the metal bottle it comes in. The odor isn’t too aggressive either.
Overall, we’d say it’s a well-rounded product. The only thing to know is that it only ships in the USA and comes in two colors.
- Curing time: 6-10 seconds
- Hardness: 76D
- Wavelength: 395-410 nm
- Sizes: 500 g
- Colors: Grey, translucent
- Price: ~$32
Ministry of Resin
If you’re tired of brittle parts (which is a typical consequence of using water-washable resin), this might be the brand for you. Ministry of Resin’s water-washable resin allows you to enjoy the benefit of using water to rinse parts without sacrificing durability.
As with other water-washables, cleaning prints is an easy process. For this particular resin, the manufacturer suggests using a brush to clear any residual resin from hard-to-reach places.
People who have tried the resin even wrote some reviews on the reseller’s website, saying that the resin has lived up to expectations in terms of durability. They were also surprised by how the smell isn’t intense at all, so it’s easy to use at home.
- Curing time: See detailed table
- Hardness: Not stated
- Wavelength: 405 nm
- Sizes: 1 liter, 6 liters
- Colors: Grey, translucent quartz, ruby red, emerald green, ocean blue
- Price: ~$50 for 1 liter, ~$280 for 6 liters