Voxelpla seems more hygroscopic than eSun PLA+

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I have been using Voxelpla + for a few months now since it was at a good price point relative to the eSun PLA+ that I have not had any problems with. I have been using eSun PLA+ for many years now.
Recently I have I noticed that if I leave a spool of voxelpla on my printer for more than a day or two at the most, the filament will break which leads me to believe this is more hygroscopic than the eSun PLA + I use. I very seldom had that filament break on me and never after only 1 or 2 days being left out. I do not use a filament dryer but have recently been thinking about buying one. It is a little annoying to have to put my filament back in a bag with desiccant if I am not going to print for a day. I store all my filaments in separate big zip lock bags with desicant when they are not loaded on my printer. I also print the voxelpla + at 215c which is about 5 degrees hotter than I normally did with the eSun PLA+

Comparing the datasheet of the Voxelpla + to eSun PLA+, looks like it probably has more tpu in it since it seems more flexible than eSun PLA+. Here are links to the datasheets on both for comparison in case someone with more knowledge of this would like to pipe in on the differences.

PLA+ (pro) Technical Data Sheet (shopify.com)

I found 2 links to the eSun PLA+ that are slightly different. I would think the datasheet from eSun would be the most current.
PLA+ (esun3d.com)

https://www.matterhackers.com/r/oqRtJt

which according to ChatGPT tpu is more hygroscopic that pla.

From ChatGPT
"Yes, TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) filament is generally more hygroscopic than PLA (Polylactic Acid) filament. Hygroscopicity refers to a material’s ability to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment.

TPU is known to have higher water absorption properties compared to PLA. It can absorb moisture from the air, which can affect the print quality and performance of TPU filaments. When TPU absorbs moisture, it may lead to issues like filament swelling, decreased print quality, and increased brittleness.

On the other hand, PLA is considered to be less hygroscopic than TPU. PLA filaments have lower water absorption properties, and therefore they are generally less affected by moisture in the air. However, it is still recommended to store PLA filaments in a dry environment to maintain their optimal printing conditions.

To mitigate the hygroscopic effects of TPU and PLA filaments, it is advisable to store them in airtight containers or vacuum-sealed bags along with desiccant packs, which help absorb moisture and preserve the filament’s quality."

ChatGPT works pretty good for giving simple English for the comparisons of this data.

VoxelPLA+ from datasheet is 74 for the Flexural strength & eSun PLA+ is 95.

“Which flexes more, Flexural Strength of 74 or 95”

"Flexural strength is a measure of a material’s ability to resist deformation under bending forces. It indicates the maximum stress that a material can withstand before it bends or breaks.

In the context of comparing flexural strengths of 74 and 95, a higher flexural strength value of 95 indicates that the material is more resistant to bending and deformation compared to a value of 74. A material with a higher flexural strength can withstand higher bending forces without experiencing permanent deformation or failure.

Therefore, in terms of flexing more, a material with a flexural strength of 95 would be stronger and less prone to bending or deformation compared to a material with a flexural strength of 74."

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I can’t imagine PLA absorbing that much moisture that quickly. It probably came from the manufacturer that way. As a rule of thumb you should always dry a new spool of filament before you use it. Don’t ever assume it is dry.

Perfect example I just got some 3DXTech Polypropylene + GF30 on clearance. Polypropylene is not supposed to absorb moisture - or at least not at a rate that you would notice over the life of the spool. Ran it through my machine and wouldn’t you know it it’s steaming and popping even after the recommended dry routine of >4 hrs at 65°C. This stuff was soaked from sitting around for too long and it had to be dried triple the recommended time to get it right.

If you plan to 3D print for the long haul a dedicated drier or food dehydrator is a great investment. You’ll notice that issues you thought were a slicer or printer problem were actually because your filament wasn’t dry. Especially once you start to print engineering materials like PA or ASA.

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You are probably right about coming from the manufacturer that way. Seems like the more recent rolls were more so this way than the 1st ones I bought. I will buy a filament dryer soon, just can’t decide on which one to get. I have watched a couple YouTube video reviews on these, but still can’t decide on which one. I was also thinking it might help with some spools that I have had for several years that probably have a bit of moisture in them. I was initially thinking of buying a dryer to print nylon a could years ago but haven’t gotten around to trying that yet.

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I use a Print Dry Drier and can recommend it highly. It’s pretty pricey for what it is but checks all the boxes for what you’d need a filament drier to do. Also has plenty of space to dry desiccant bags for reuse.

When looking for a drier consider what material you’d want to dry. Here’s a list of some materials and dry time.

image
image3024Ă—4032 2.44 MB

Most of the single spool driers you find on sites like Amazon have a limited temp range so you’ll need to find a drier that can competently dry the material you want to print. You mentioned Nylon and that requires 85°C. Cheaper driers can’t hit that temp safely.

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My observation is that it doesn’t. (Observed by weighing before and after drying) PETG and other filaments certainly do.

HOWEVER. Some PLA does respond to the drying process - I’ve had junk PLA that was brittle “conditioned” and become flexible again, and on others have a noticeable reduction in stringing.

I don’t think it’s psychological, but I’ll let someone else ask Chat GPT about that! :rofl:

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Agree totally. PLA can and does take on moisture. I haven’t used PLA in years but wonder if all these new alloys that add strength are also more hydroscopic. Drying would now be more important for PLA than in the past for PLA+ type materials. Confusing.

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I decided to order this print dryer. goes from 20c-70c and time can be set from 0-48 hours. Bing gave me an extra $5.40 off of the price.

Amazon.com: Filament Dryer Box, 48 Hours Filament Dry Box, Real-time Humidity Display Filament Dehydrator, 70°C 360 Degree Heating Filament Container, for 1.75 2.85 3.00mm Nylon PA ABS PLA PETG Filament : Industrial & Scientific

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