Recycling IPA - Distillation for Resin 3D Printing

[@Error-om3fk]

As an Electrical Engineer the quality of this Video is astounding, no yapping, no bs, straight up facts for 6:40 mins. Gz m8 earned a follower

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you for the support! I’ll keep up the good work!

[@yourfaceisonfire]

As an electrician, I appreciate the heck out of the safety education in this video. Thank you

[@ArisAlder]

You're welcome & thank you for the energizing support!

[@Fahnder99]

actually it's groundbreaking in terms of safe YT vids.

[@livinunderthesun9]

This video is amazing!!!!!! You put so much effort into this on so many levels. Thank you for putting this out to the community! I’ve been doing water washable resins only since I just started resin printing half a year ago but and trying to do more research to find the easiest way to recycle IPA so I can switch

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you for the enthusiasm!!! The video can certainly do with being shared more when distillation questions are brought up. It's an amazing process for recovery, even with the risks. Stay safe and print on!

[@dumbcat]

why do you want to switch from water washable resin to IPA washable resin?

[@peterclegg2609]

I've been using this method for a couple of years, never had a problem.

[@ArisAlder]

Good to hear! It is an efficient way to solve the waste issue.

[@3DJapan]

Great video. I didn't know these distiller machines existed. Be careful of alcohol laws too because you're technically running a still.

[@ArisAlder]

Thanks for the support! You are right that people should know local laws and be aware of their situation. However, I believe most jurisdictions would be more concerned with fire safety than distillation laws.

[@thingsthatmake]

OK after looking into this all night I found that amazon has a temperature controlled model for about $96. Mophorn Countertop Water Distiller.. To distill alcohol temp should be much lower that what a conventional water distiller heats to. Maybe the video uploader can upload the link as the one listed is broken anyways. The proper temp for distilling alcohol is 175-195 degrees Fahrenheit, which is much lower than the 239F that this model hits. By the way, comparable models on amazon are much more (3X) more expensive. the Mophorn looks perfect for the job.

[@ArisAlder]

Hi! Thanks for pointing out that the link is broken, I just fixed it by pointing it to Vevor's other temperature controlled distiller model. You are right that IPA boils around 177°F, which does make the temperature controlled version more appropriate.

[@GreySectoid]

Incredibly useful stuff, thanks for this.

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you for the support!

[@karllautman]

I've tried distillation a couple of times, the second time with a distiller with an adjustable temperature I was able to set to the boiling point of IPA. In both cases I got nothing; the IPA just evaporated away without condensing. Wish I could get it to work.

[@ArisAlder]

I would be very interested to see a video of this, since it should still condense even if the fan was malfunctioning. This could point to a seal/gasket issue but that is unlikely with two distillers.

[@NeroPrime]

I just tried this method to clean my IPA. It worked great! One question, how do you clean the 'death pancake'? Let it cure, then take it out? I have a nice layer of sludge at the bottom of my distiller; pouring it out made a nice mess.

[@ArisAlder]

If it continues to heat and solidify/burns then it can be pulled out and thrown away, but it's possible for it to get stuck. When it's mostly just sludge resin left, you can pour it out into some other container for it to dry out then throw away.

[@NeroPrime]

@@ArisAlder@ArisAlder Ya, I poured mine off, made a mess, and had some curred resin inside the heating chamber. (I thought curing it a bit would make removing it easier, nope...) We'll see how the next destilling goes, might have to buy a new distiller if the curred resin causes issues.

[@MrEapie]

Just got done with my first batch and it looks brand new! However, I have a question...what's the best way to clean all the burned up/sticky residue that's left afterwards? Thanks again for the video!

[@ArisAlder]

As the batch is finishing and there is still a small amount of IPA left, the resin blob is loose, or after it has dried for a few days it should crack and peel off.

[@xerox445]

Will this also increase the concentration of the IPA?

[@ArisAlder]

If you are distilling 70% then yes - the highest percentage achievable will be 91%.

[@Gustavestavez]

Any idea about the IPA concentration of the distilate. The one you started with was 91%. What did it became after distilation and does it even matter?

[@ArisAlder]

I didn't make any measurements for the concentration because it shouldn't change significantly. The maximum we can get from simple distillation like this is roughly 91%, and we can assume that it will be close to but a bit below this. For using the IPA to clean resin, anything above 70% works perfectly fine, but the 91-99% could be important if anyone is doing niche prints like wax for metal casting or anything that will be handled frequently (and not coated).

[@VgnTeupo]

good work, there cant be enough safty

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you for the support!

[@CirclMastr]

Would this work to clean water contaminated with water-washable resin?

[@ArisAlder]

It will separate resin from the saturated water, but I wouldn’t consider it to be potable. I haven’t throughly considered disposal methods after this point, but if it’s a smaller amount of water it could be poured onto hot concrete so it will evaporate, for example. I’d be interested to hear your results!

[@huzafa099]

I want to save my resin not ipa any suggestion pls

[@ArisAlder]

Besides letting resin slowly drip off the print back into the vat, I have used compressed air on prints before cleaning them to recover 5-15% of the resin (% of weight compared to the part, surface area matters primarily).

[@andyspoo2]

Another possible (but probably impracticable and not cheap) method would be to use a centrifuge, to spin the solids to the bottom of the container.

[@ArisAlder]

I've heard people mention this before actually, but I believe that the resin would have to be completely solidified (into particles) for this to be an ideal efficiency, when in reality much of the resin is still liquid. It would certainly be a good way to decant as part of a filtering process.

[@HO-cj3ut]

thank you , turkey

[@ArisAlder]

You're welcome!

[@XionsAvalon]

Does the death pancake come up easily? Or do i have to use holy water to remove it?

[@ArisAlder]

This particular demon is usually easy to expel, especially if there is a little IPA left in the tank.

[@AdmiralLj]

Another way us to mix the IPA whit alittle water run at 80c and it will leave only a water resin slury in the bottom

[@Sgt40K]

I have one, and it worked perfect for the first 4 times, but on the fifth time, for some reason the pancake was burnt into the bottom of the distiller. I had to scrape the bottom with a metal spatula. Took a lot of work, but I got most of it off. I wish I could add a pic. I haven't used it again, but I don't know how it'll work now that the bottom is burnt.

[@ArisAlder]

Was this a distiller with a temperature controller or like the one in the video? I have found that the pancake is usually lose while it is heated and there is still some IPA present in the tank. Adding some when removing could help ease the process.

[@swordsdboss]

Did you cure the ipa before distilling?

[@Sgt40K]

@@swordsdboss no. I never cured it before. You end up with a pudding if you cure the alcohol.

[@hardwareful]

I'll have to give you a thumbs down for this video, but I'll grace you with this comment. "Death pancake (4:10) is a clear sign it's overheating. Distillation should not go much above the boiling point of the fraction you want to recover, and your residue looks burned. So, what else could we do? I personally have only used pure IPA to clean my prints, but if an IPA-Water mixture also works, you can just add an extra cup of water and distill IPA as an azeotrope (65-70 mol%). Once that has come over, the temperature rises to 100°C with some water still left in the distiller. Use a thermcouple connected to an external PID controller to stop at 90-95°C so not much of the water is carried over.

[@ArisAlder]

My recommendation in the description and throughout comments is to use a distiller with a temperature controller since you can set it to 180°F. I should have put this in the video & if I had that version on-hand it would have been highlighted. They should only be $30-40 more.

[@Paul-q3m7k]

Just get an air stil designed for alcohol . They are all over the place .

[@ArisAlder]

They are essentially the same product, just half the price. Those are still also don't appear to have a temperature controller on the unit.

[@yoda-quasar]

What about environment? media.makeameme.org/created/how-dare-you-75b5b41ebe.jpg

[@ArisAlder]

Performing a detailed environmental analysis is certainly out of scope, but every liter recycled does mitigate liters being bought, bottled, and transported. Any IPA that evaporated would have evaporated passively, and creating death pancakes is certainly better than the resin ending up in the groundwater or municipal supply :)

[@TheLandbo]

Distillation is the only way to purify your IPA or denatured alcohol 100%. Just remember that you should not heat the alcohol up to more than about 92-95 degrees centigrade. VEVOR has several cheap electric models where you can adjust the temperature. Then it's time to start saving money, the more alcohol you use the bigger is the profit.

[@ArisAlder]

Yep you are absolutely right. The temperature controlled models are the one to go with.

[@ArisAlder]

⏱ Timeline: 00:00 - Introduction 00:24 - Filtration 01:02 - Distiller Operation 01:31 - IPA Recovery Efficiency 02:15 - Distiller Overheating Protection 02:28 - 1st Tip = Use Outdoors & away from Flammable Materials 02:59 - 2nd Tip = Don't leave it Unattended 03:11 - 3rd Tip = 🧯Fire Extinguishers🧯 03:50 - GFCI/AFCI and Laws 04:30 - Cost Analysis 06:02 - Conclusion

[@davidebasso1102]

I tried this method today after watching your video: it worked really well! Thanks dude

[@ArisAlder]

You're welcome, thank you for the support!

[@Obsolete-x5b]

My mine is leaking all over the place. The gasket appears to be expanding and losing its sealing ability.

[@ArisAlder]

Does your distiller have a temperature controller? A few people seem to have this issue, and the gasket material the manufacturer chose is likely not ideal. This next week when I go to the shop I’ll see if I can find a replacement gasket of higher quality.

[@Obsolete-x5b]

Thank you for your response. Just to clarify, my device does not come with a temperature controller. I am looking forward to a work around.@@ArisAlder

[@Interrogator_chaplain_rex]

I'm working on one as well, I found that if you do adjust it mid cycle the IPA vapor makes the gasket not seat correctly. I just stopped the process let the system cool to room temp, reseated the gasket and started again no issues since.

[@Obsolete-x5b]

thanks for the response. did you do this once or do you do this each time?@@Interrogator_chaplain_rex

[@corncranker]

Probably should mention it's not safe to use for water or ethanol at this point.

[@ArisAlder]

You are correct that it would not necessarily be safe to use for any other purpose once used for resin, but the same distiller would be fine for separately doing IPA, ethanol, or water (since these are all used for cleaning).

[@edgrimley4386]

Good video. I had been wondering if water distillers would work for IPA, and yep, it does! You covered the safety issues very well. The fire was entertaining (I hope it was on purpose). A question I have is concerning clean-up of the distiller. It seems that most of the resin left behind is in the pancake, is it hard to clean the rest of the pan - or is it even necessary? Is there much material stuck to the bottom or sides? Is scrapping or scouring necessary or can it be pretty much ignored?

[@ArisAlder]

Thanks! Yes it was a demo fire, and I even made sure to procure a used unit with issues so as not to waste a perfectly good distiller. Since the inside of the tank is smooth stainless steel, the pancake does pop off pretty easy when dry. It will also slide out if it is warm and there's is a little IPA left after a session. Generally, it is a good idea to remove the resin if a death pancake does form since it will result in more fumes in the next printing session. For casual recycling, there should be minimal resin buildup, especially if filtering. People who are processing gallons of IPA per month will have to regularly remove the buildup. I have found that most, if not all, of the resin will coalesce at the bottom.

[@matthewsinclair8751]

I love this tutorial. I've been very conscientious of hazard and waste regarding 3d printing. Your tutorial was well tested and measured and I greatly appreciate the safety review. Thank you!

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you for the positive feedback!

[@InitiallyJB]

Link to that blue container for distilled alcohol?

[@ArisAlder]

Those little containers generally come with the water distillers.

[@InitiallyJB]

@@ArisAlder ok I was wondering because Amazon shows what looks like a coffee glass

[@benperreau]

Put me down for having gasket swelling issue as well. This is apparently due to the silicone absorbing the IPA at a vapor level, with the gasket getting back to normal size once it evaporates out of it. I did use 85 degrees and indeed it was leaking on the outside walls of my Vevor unit, and getting over the electrical plug which made me nervous about starting a fire. Anybody know a gasket material that does not swell with IPA vapors?

[@ArisAlder]

To give you an update - I was only able to replicate this issue on the unit I have by completely removing the gasket, and the leaking was minimal. I'm FDM printing off a gasket in PP, which chemically should be fine with the IPA, but it will likely fail after a few uses due to temperature. I will try to test this in the next few days when I find time. These are three o-ring cord stocks I've identified (I will purchase them on my next large mcmaster order): www.mcmaster.com/catalog/9616K38 www.mcmaster.com/catalog/1034T2 www.mcmaster.com/catalog/12975K39 Additionally, there's a decent chance that Vevor will send out a replacement seal when asked. If they refuse, let me know and I will talk to them and see if they can remedy the situation. www.vevor.com/pages/contact-us

[@VideoCesar07]

This isn't an option for me, at least not a safe one. I live in an apartment tower so I have all the things you mentioned that would be unwise and unsafe to do. I was curious about using a distiller to clean IPA but didn't want to be the basis of an episode of 1000 Ways To Die. I give you tremendous kudos for stressing all the safety precautions people should take when using this method because there are many content creators who will show methods like these but gloss over the safety aspects while you repeatedly stress what measure you should take and what environment this is best suited for. Hope your channel continues to grow. Subbed!

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you for the support! Resin printing in apartments is a bit tricky for sure. Filtering IPA as much as possible and using natural evaporation on a balcony, or a hazard waste disposal is probably the way to go then.

[@magicmanspaz]

Great in depth information and advice. One thing to weigh up if printing and selling as a business or for an income etc is your time value of recycling the IPA vs disposing and spending that time on printing. But I do see the value of recycling.

[@ArisAlder]

Thank you! You're absolutely right that time should be a consideration when people are trying to optimize their workflow.

[@david_manfredini]

Hello! I bought the same distiller as you (without temperature control). I did a first distillation, which went well. I got back almost 2l of IPA. But now I'm having problems with my distiller. As soon as I start distillation, and the unit gets hot, it locks up. A safety device engages and there's no way of restarting it, even with the reset button, for a long time. No problem if I distill contaminated water, it only happens with IPA. Have you ever had this happen? Do you have a solution? I obviously can't return the product now that it's been used and I don't want to throw it away.

[@ArisAlder]

I’ve not run into this issue myself nor have I seen anyone else mention it. It’s likely there’s an issue with the specific unit. The manufacturer advertises that these can be used with alcohols, so I would contact them to see if they have a resolution. In the video I should have used the version with the temperature controller, but instead I used second hand units that could be tortured (and burnt down).

[@donniem7979]

ur the best.

[@ArisAlder]

Thanks!

[@LazorzPewPew]

Jeeez. Where are you getting electricity for so cheap? 15 cents a kW/h is an awesome price. I am paying 33 cents in NYC

[@ArisAlder]

In Texas I pay about 13 cents. I bumped it up for the video. The average for Texas is apparently 14 cents, and the USA average is 23 cents.

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

NYC and California have the highest electricity prices in the entire country.

[@swordsdboss]

Does the ipa have to be cured before distilling?

[@ArisAlder]

The IPA does not have to be cured, but it is a best practice to do so that way you can filter out as much solidified resin as possible.

[@st.eldritch7121]

You don't happen to have a demo or advice on cleaning the death pancake out do you? I just ordered my distiller based off your video and was wondering what the best method for taking care of that would be? Just trying to get all my resources and info together before it gets here lol.

[@ArisAlder]

I don’t have a demo, but there are a few comments discussing it. The tldr is to use a distiller with a temperature controller and stop when there’s a little IPA left to avoid the pancake. If the pancake forms, it should be loosened by adding more IPA or water when doing another cycle.

[@st.eldritch7121]

@@ArisAlder Ah I see, so if it does, possibly splash some water in there to loosen it up after the fact maybe? Regardless, the investment of a distiller is hard to ignore. Going through IPA for a beginner like me seems daunting and somewhat expensive. I'm hoping this will help with some of that expense, thank you for the response and the very informative video.

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

@@st.eldritch7121 I wouldn't do distilling until you have a few gallons of dirty IPA stored up (and dirty as in it won't even wash resin off prints, most IPA can be used to clean even if cloudy). It will save you a LOT of money, but isn't worth the hassle if you haven't printed 20L worth of resin during your experience.

[@aciuppa281]

So if you only use water for the water washable resin then would it work the same without the chance of a fire? Or is the resin itself a flame hazard? I ask because I’m getting into this hobby and I would like to not have several gallons of poison water sitting around

[@ArisAlder]

You are absolutely right that it would work the same for water, and it would vastly minimize the fire risk. Resin can burn but the 180°F is unlikely to cause it to ignite, it just results in the death pancake forming at the bottom. Water will be safer to distill than a solvent.

[@aciuppa281]

@@ArisAlder thanks for the info I really do appreciate it

[@markburton5292]

its actually a good way to clean any water you used for cleaning your prints. I still empty the pancake into a clear trash bag and let it cure for a day before tossing it.

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

For water washable just pour it in a wide container and leave it out in the sun. The water will evaporate out, and the sunlight will also cure the resin leaving behind dust that is not a biohazard.

[@zorq1007]

Is there a way to prevent the seal from swelling? I'm getting leaks from between the lid and the base, I have tried 3 different distillers. Thanks.

[@ArisAlder]

Just to clarify, you are referring to IPA condensate leaking from the lid instead of depositing into the jug like normal? I have not heard of this issue to date. You might have to post a picture/video on discord or reddit to give additional context. I would also try doing this with pure water to see if the leaking continues, as part of a process of elimination.

[@AdmiralLj]

​@@ArisAlderit often happens when you run a machine whit IPA that is made for water +100c the pressure get to high and it either pops the lid or blow the rubber seal betwine the container and the lid, if you going to do this us a distiller whit temperature controle

[@AdmiralLj]

Its slower at lower temperatures but i have recovered alot more ipa on the other end at lower temperatures. You can also mix water whit the ipa and not get the death pancake.

[@Eldradirom]

I experienced the same problem. i shrinked the seal in boiled water to get a good seal, and after 2 min the IPA start to leak from the lid. I turn everything off and when I remove the head of the machie i can see that the seal has swollen.

[@zorq1007]

@@AdmiralLj what temps are you using? I tried 83 which is 0.5 above ipa boiling point and i still have more leaking around the lid than coming through the spout.

[@ravindrapersaud7608]

What temperature did you set it at?

[@ArisAlder]

The distillers without a temperature controller, like the vevor one in the video, are set to shut off around 114°C. If you have one with a controller, it will be best to set it slightly above the boiling point of IPA which is 83°C. So 85-90°C is a reasonable place to start. I'd be interested to hear about results and the experience distilling at this and even a lower temperature.

[@heyokawolf13]

How much odor is released during evaporation?

[@ArisAlder]

A significant amount will be released, which is part of the reason is must be done outdoors. The level, at least for me personally, is comparable to using a large amount of rustoleum enamel paint.

[@peterkiss1204]

It's an open distillation unit. The can that catches the condensed solvent is also open releasing a lot of solvent vapor. It would be much better if the distiller would have some silicone tubing leading through a cap into the bottle, and only a small breathing hole would be on the cap to prevent the pressure buildup in the canister.

[@AdmiralLj]

​@peterkiss1204 many do that that, but the cheap version do not and they also do not have adequate temperature control, they are made for water so if it's 100c or 150c who cares... for IPA that cause the pressure in the device to massively increase ans will usualy pop the gasket or pop the lid leading to the loss of alot of IPA

[@donaldparkhurst3471]

Sorry, as much as it sounds good, our professional take on this for a few years, is I am CSI and no matter what precautions you take. Including the mfg of the distiller saying IPA and Electricity do not mix, and do not use for this purpose. It still is dangerous no matter what. We in our CSI lab have had this year, that we know of for investigation 4 explosions, using this unit for distillation of IPA, and it included 1 death. It is not the liquid you have to worry about as much, which is all I saw in your pics, it is the highly flammable vapor, which is very difficult to disperse. There are better ways and way less expensive to clean IPA. I just say, Do at your own risk. we think it is just not worth it. Many video of people trying this and most were not good info. Happy 3D Printing people and be safe.

[@ArisAlder]

Hi Donald - you are absolutely right that distilling IPA does carry more of a fire risk than most other activities inside the 3D printing realm. There are very few videos on how to do this even remotely safely (any that exist often had people running it inside their home). There have been numerous discussions on this topic around, and since plenty of people desired to try this recycling method, I wanted to help lay out some groundwork on how to do this with as little of risk as possible. The manufacturer does discuss how the plastic and all-metal distillers can be used for water and alcohol. Based on the destructive testing that was displayed in the video, I found that the plastic distillers are more likely to burn than explode since they are not pressurized. While the plastic ones do have a stainless steel interior, I believe that they will present less of an explosion risk than distillation setups that are pressurized or made entirely of glass/metal. I'm happy to see any suggestions on how to improve safety for individuals and businesses that decide to use distillation for recycling IPA.

[@SheWhoVibes]

So safety concerns aside, you probably want to check with your local laws that it's actually not a felony to do this wherever you're living. As you are running a still for alcohol & the feds don't generally look kindly on unlicensed distilleries. Many places allow you to distill non-potable alcohol but you really should know for certain before you start. This is probably the safest way I've seen someone suggest on how to do this & i appreciate the depth you went to in explaining exactly how to probably maybe hopefully not have your viewers explode and die. I'd stick with filtration and evaporation of waste alcohol, but if you like fire hazards & personal risk, this is probably the safest way to do this. I don't recommend you do, but this is good info if you're set on trying.

[@ArisAlder]

Absolutely, I set out with the goal of making this video because I saw others trying to distill the IPA/resin in their kitchen. This also works for resin contaminated water.

[@SheWhoVibes]

Yeah, like don't get me wrong this is really good info and probably the best/safest way to do this with alcohol. I just... I quiver in anxiety even thinking about trying to do this with anything but water. @@ArisAlder