1 Topic by pirvan

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Topic: Disposing of used IPA

There are many threads and posts in the FormLabs forums regarding the disposal of used IPA. 

For those that are not familiar with SLA printers, one of the steps in finishing a model is to clean it in isopropyl alcohol (IPA).  IPA dissolves uncured resin, which the model is covered in as it's extracted out of the resin tank during build.  After a lot of prints, the IPA gets contaminated with uncured resin, and becomes "oily", and ineffective.  At this time it's time to replace it with new "clean" IPA.

Some people have go to great extents to "save" the IPA, by filtering the resin particles out of it, but ultimately, the "liquid" IPA is still dirty.  FormLabs suggest disposing of it in accordance to "proper hazmat disposal rules governing your local area".  Bu that can be cumbersome, inconvenient and costly.

I for one used a different tactic. 

I took the entire tub and put it out in the sun for a day.  The IPA turned into a thick jello, which I scooped up and put into a large ziplock bag,  which I left outside to cure further.  Depending on how many hours of sun it gets, and what the ratio of IPA to resin the concoction is, it might take as long as a week to cure, but in the end, you'll have a solid piece of plastic that can be simply disposed of in the trash.

Hope this helps those of you that are using SLA printers

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.

2 Reply by Tin Falcon (edited by Tin Falcon 2016-06-24 23:16:00)

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

I wonder would a simple solar still work with IPA??

Place a clean can in the middle of the tub . Weight  it down. The can height must be lower than the top of the tub. then place plastic over the tub leave a bit loose . tape the edge of the plastic to the outside of the tub then place a weight rock marble whatever on the plastic over the can the idea is the  IPA evaporates    then condenses on the plastic then drips into the can .
The plastic should not touch the collection can . 
If it works you should be able to recover and reuse a good bit of the IPA rather than it just become part of the local air pollution.

Solvents are commonly recycled in industry . the problem is the commercial equipment is expensive. And Home built stills may be a bit taboo .

Another option would be put the IPA in a sealed glass jar and leave in the sun then filter it after the sun cures the resin.

Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
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3 Reply by pirvan

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

Tin Falcon wrote:

I wonder would a simple solar still work with IPA??

Place a clean can in the middle of the tub . Weight  it down. The can height must be lower than the top of the tub. then place plastic over the tub leave a bit loose . tape the edge of the plastic to the outside of the tub then place a weight rock marble whatever on the plastic over the can the idea is the  IPA evaporates    then condenses on the plastic then drips into the can .
The plastic should not touch the collection can . 
If it works you should be able to recover and reuse a good bit of the IPA rather than it just become part of the local air pollution.

Solvents are commonly recycled in industry . the problem is the commercial equipment is expensive. And Home built stills may be a bit taboo .

Another option would be put the IPA in a sealed glass jar and leave in the sun then filter it after the sun cures the resin.

Tin

Neat idea, but making 'shine in your bathtub is still against the law !  smile

'sides, I'm not sure it would taste that great.

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.

4 Reply by pirvan

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

Update.

Ive had the "jello" in a Zip-Lock plastic bag outside for about 4 days now, and it still hasn't hardened.  It's like a very thick rubber.  It got about 4 hours of sun a day, which should have hardened it, but I guess the concentration of alcohol in it is keeping it from hardening completely.

I'll give it another couple of days, but if it doesn't cure completely, I'll just throw it away as it is.

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.

5 Reply by Tin Falcon

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

Bathtub gin was natorius for bad taste so was often flavored !
An old pressure cooker an old radiator and some connections should be all you need to recycle IPA sun for the heat put the radiator inside a shed and maybe a fan on it.
Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

6 Reply by IronMan

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

Wow, when I first read the topic, I thought it was about beer!

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7 Reply by pirvan

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

http://soliforum.com/i/?pTqmsBl.jpg

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.

8 Reply by IronMan

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

big_smile

SD2 - Stock - Enclosure - Heated Bed - Glass Plate - Auto Fire Extinguisher
Ord Bot Hadron - RAMPS 1.4 - Bulldog XL - E3D v6 - 10" x 10" PCB Heated Build w/SSR - Glass Plate
Thanks for All of Your Help!

9 Reply by pirvan (edited by pirvan 2016-06-29 19:54:38)

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

IronMan wrote:

Wow, when I first read the topic, I thought it was about beer!

This is how you dispose of "used" IPA (beer)

http://i0.wp.com/media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2003/05/calvin-peeing-600x463.jpg?resize=400%2C309

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.

10 Reply by Tin Falcon

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

Well if you google distilling IPA  it seems the discussion is not about recovering and recycling of solvents Hmmmm LOL
Tin

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura

11 Reply by mark.burton (edited by mark.burton 2017-05-30 20:58:56)

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Re: Disposing of used IPA

I have been taking the tub of ipa in the sun and then filtering it using a paint filter.
has worked pretty good so far. I usually do it every few days.
this was with 70% ipa.
with the 99 percent it doesn't really filter out. but like Pirvan says turns to a Jello mass I am leaving out side as we speak uncovered to try and let the  ipa eve off so I can toss the cured glob