<p>Wash-away filament used for support in PLA printing is typically PVA, which is completely water soluble and may serve your purpose. It is easily 3D printed as the primary filament and attaches well to the build plate.</p>

<p>Many 3D printer filament suppliers will carry this type of support material. It is important to keep it in a sealed bag with desiccant as it will absorb moisture from the air, rendering it useless for printing.</p>

<p>One such resource is <a href="https://www.matterhackers.com/store/l/175mm-pva-filament-half-kg/sk/M4MJTECR" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MatterHackers</a> which prices a half-kilogram at US$45. The link provides suitably appropriate information:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) is a water-soluble material that is often used
  as a support material, but can also be used to print independently.
  PVA supports are useful for complex designs where removing support
  material manually is difficult or impossible, but leaving the part in
  a water bath overnight will completely dissolve this material.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2ytSy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2ytSy.png" alt="PVA filament"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T16:29:32.457Z
This is fantastic. The resin I want to dissolve the support out of can transport water, so this should be good.
User2341
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T16:37:38.127Z
Not only PLA, PVA can also be used as support material for nylon. Printing PVA is not always successful even with the Ultimaker 3 special core for PVA, it clogs easily in my experience.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-04T17:31:14.807Z
Im really having trouble getting the PVA to dissolve away after printing inside of weird internal structures. Are there tricks for this?
User2341
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-04T22:06:59.443Z
hot water works better than cool water and agitation improves removal. If the part will fit in an ultrasonic cleaner, you'd get water heating from the ultrasound as well as microscopic bubbles helping with the agitation. Refresh the water periodically, as the PVA concentration will increase as more dissolves, reducing the rate of removal.
fred_dot_u
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T16:14:37.087Z
2018-05-24T16:14:37.087Z
fred_dot_u
<p>ABS dissolves in acetone. Indeed actone can be used to clean up 3D prints, see <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4235/whats-smoother-acetone-treated-pla-or-abs/">What&#39;s smoother? Acetone treated PLA or ABS</a>. PLA maybe not somuch as ABS, see the same post.</p>

<p>PLA dissolves in any chlorinated or fluorinated solvent, such as THF or Chloroform - both of which are significantly more hazardous than acetone.</p>

<p>Hence, as always <strong>take care</strong> when using solvents, see <a href="https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/81/safety-precautions-when-using-acetone/278#278">Safety precautions when using acetone</a></p>

<p>Also, as filaments are often not pure ABS or PLA, due to additives and dyes, etc., then the solvent may not dissolve the 3D printed part <em>completely</em>, and you may be left with a deformed, rubbery residue.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T15:34:29.217Z
2018-05-24T15:34:29.217Z
Greenonline
<p>I want to print a structure that I can embed in a resin and later dissolve. I know that some fancy 3D printing systems have raft materials etc., that can be printed and later removed easily. </p>

<p>Can any one suggest a 3D printing material that can be dissolved in say water or another readily available solvent?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T15:16:39.837Z
Google search: [water soluble filament](https://www.google.ie/search?q=water+soluble++filament)
profesor79
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T15:28:28.590Z
MIght want to start by listing solvents you **can't** use because they attack your resin
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-25T02:50:57.283Z
@professor79, Stack exchange and Google give fundamentally different types of help. Sure, Google may tell me what could work, but stackexchange actually gives insight I wouldn't otherwise find as easily that *often* makes a big difference...
User2341
<support-material>
3D printing template material
User2341
# 3D printing template material

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-24)

I want to print a structure that I can embed in a resin and later dissolve. I know that some fancy 3D printing systems have raft materials etc., that can be printed and later removed easily.

Can any one suggest a 3D printing material that can be dissolved in say water or another readily available solvent?

**Tags:** support-material
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Google search: [water soluble filament](https://www.google.ie/search?q=water+soluble++filament)  
> **username_2**: MIght want to start by listing solvents you **can't** use because they attack your resin  
> **username_0**: @professor79, Stack exchange and Google give fundamentally different types of help. Sure, Google may tell me what could work, but stackexchange actually gives insight I wouldn't otherwise find as easily that *often* makes a big difference...  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-05-24. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Wash-away filament used for support in PLA printing is typically PVA, which is completely water soluble and may serve your purpose. It is easily 3D printed as the primary filament and attaches well to the build plate.

Many 3D printer filament suppliers will carry this type of support material. It is important to keep it in a sealed bag with desiccant as it will absorb moisture from the air, rendering it useless for printing.

One such resource is [MatterHackers](https://www.matterhackers.com/store/l/175mm-pva-filament-half-kg/sk/M4MJTECR) which prices a half-kilogram at US$45. The link provides suitably appropriate information:

> PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) is a water-soluble material that is often used
> as a support material, but can also be used to print independently.
> PVA supports are useful for complex designs where removing support
> material manually is difficult or impossible, but leaving the part in
> a water bath overnight will completely dissolve this material.

[![PVA filament](https://i.sstatic.net/2ytSy.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/2ytSy.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is fantastic. The resin I want to dissolve the support out of can transport water, so this should be good.  
> **username_4**: Not only PLA, PVA can also be used as support material for nylon. Printing PVA is not always successful even with the Ultimaker 3 special core for PVA, it clogs easily in my experience.  
> **username_0**: Im really having trouble getting the PVA to dissolve away after printing inside of weird internal structures. Are there tricks for this?  
> **username_3**: hot water works better than cool water and agitation improves removal. If the part will fit in an ultrasonic cleaner, you'd get water heating from the ultrasound as well as microscopic bubbles helping with the agitation. Refresh the water periodically, as the PVA concentration will increase as more dissolves, reducing the rate of removal.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-05-24. Score: 1

ABS dissolves in acetone. Indeed actone can be used to clean up 3D prints, see [What's smoother? Acetone treated PLA or ABS](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4235/whats-smoother-acetone-treated-pla-or-abs/). PLA maybe not somuch as ABS, see the same post.

PLA dissolves in any chlorinated or fluorinated solvent, such as THF or Chloroform - both of which are significantly more hazardous than acetone.

Hence, as always **take care** when using solvents, see [Safety precautions when using acetone](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/81/safety-precautions-when-using-acetone/278#278)

Also, as filaments are often not pure ABS or PLA, due to additives and dyes, etc., then the solvent may not dissolve the 3D printed part *completely*, and you may be left with a deformed, rubbery residue.


---

