Resin and Solvent Storage

26 min

Resin Storage

Resins are designed to be chemically altered by UV Light and must be stored properly to maintain viability. Temperature and exposure to certain elements may also affect resins as noted in this guide. Additionally, safety measures are important to contain resins properly.

Failure to store resins as instructed can lead to compromised material properties and print defects.

Accommodations

Store resins in an environment that ensures the following conditions:

Temperature control in the recommended range

Isolation from sources of UV light

Secondary containment to prevent the spread of liquid resin for safety

See Safety - Hazardous Waste for information on the proper disposal of liquid resin.

Temperature

Storage conditions maintained at 17-25 °C (64-77 °F) is considered standard room temperature.

Always reference protocol sheets for each resin's storage temperature range.

Some materials require a cooler environment or refrigeration to maintain the shelf life of the resin.

Other resins are prone to crystallizing at lower temperatures and require warmer conditions.

Isolation from UV Light

Direct UV Light

All resin containers must be kept out of direct sunlight at all times, even though sensitive containers are opaque.

Ambient UV Light

Carbon recommends a dark cabinet with latching doors as an extra measure of protection for small container types.

Resin containers at a workstation must be kept with their caps on.

Measuring cups and other containers should be covered with aluminum foil between uses.

Resin-filled cassettes sitting out between uses should use a cassette cover or aluminum foil.

Or leave them in a printer with the door closed, which contains UV blocking protection.

Covering the cassette prevents the resin from solidifying with ambient UV light, which could damage the cassette.

Keeping resin covered will also keep it free of dust or debris, which could affect print quality.

Secondary Containment

Cartridges, Bottles and Jerry Cans

Best practice dictates that resins are stored in the original labeled shipping box until ready for use.

When cartridges or bottles are removed from their box, the best practice is to keep resins in secondary containment containers (Accessories & Supplies).

Drums and Totes

Always store drums and totes on pallets designed for spill containment to meet all local regulations.

Shelf Life

Date of Manufacture Date a material is first produced (DoM) Recorded in batch record and on CoA/CoC

Shelf Life Time a material is viable without physical or chemical changes Properly packaged & stored: Shelf Life = Expiration Date – DoM

Expiration Date* Last day a material should be used End of Carbon’s guarantee performance to specification

Sell-by Date Last day product can schedule shipment & meet minimum shelf life Shipments past sell-by date feasible if customer accepts shorter shelf life

Minimum Shelf Life Amount of shelf life remaining when product is shipped Reference resin protocol

Storage after Opening Method by which some resins need to be stored after opening the container

*Expiration Dates Use all resins prior to their expiration date.

Resins may thicken with age, potentially causing print difficulties and variation in material properties and accuracy.

Check the Certificate of Conformity for the latest expiration information. Expiration dates on the containers are the earliest possible expiration at the time of shipping and may be extended.

Storage After Opening

Select Carbon resins require special handling after opening if they will be stored or not used up for over one month from the date of first opening.

Once opened, air conditions inside the container can negatively impact the resin over time. This empty space must be replaced with properly conditioned air to maintain printing viability: either dry air (via a compressed air line) or nitrogen depending on the formulation.

Reference protocol sheets to view whether this procedure applies to a resin.

This procedure is applicable to the following container types, excluding cartridges.

Jerry Cans

Paint Cans

Drums

IBC Totes

Can and drum containers must be upright, and not on their side, to accommodate these procedures. Once the container has be properly conditioned per the instructions below, containers may be stored on their side if that suits your containment setup.

Using open containers within one month will negate the need for these procedures.

Dry Air

Select Part A and one-part resins require air space in the container to be backfilled with dry air, where moisture can affect the material.

Install a desiccant dryer along your compressed air line.

Select a unit with fittings to match your facility's compressed air hose lines.

Choose a size to suit the size of your resin containers (see step 3).

Regenerate or replace desiccant per manufacturer's instructions.

Reference Accessories & Supplies for examples and purchasing links.

Set compressed air pressure to the the dryer's specifications.

Use a regulator along the air line if different than facility pressure requirements.

Blow the dry compressed air into the empty air space of the resin container to evacuate all ambient air.

Open the resin container: both the main opening and vent opening.

Estimate the volume of empty space in the container.

Run the dry air to evacuate the volume of empty space 3 times, per the flow rate of the dryer. For example:

If you have a 180 L drum that is 10% empty, the empty volume is 18 L.

If the dryer has a flow rate of 170 L/min, then you need to run the dry air for 20 seconds (3x18/170 = 0.3 min).

Close the container tightly immediately to contain the dry air. Store the container until ready to use.

Nitrogen

Select Part B resins require air space in the container to be backfilled with nitrogen gas to replace oxygen, where oxidation can affect the material.

Nitrogen cylinder must be properly secured to prevent tipping. Follow all local safety regulations.

Set nitrogen pressure to the the tank's specifications.

Blow the nitrogen gas into the empty air space of the resin container to evacuate all ambient air.

Open the resin container: both the main opening and vent opening.

Estimate the volume of empty space in the container.

Run the nitrogen to evacuate the volume of empty space 3 times, per the flow rate using the calculator below.

Bore diameter is the inside diameter of the hose

Pressure in units of Bar, convert as needed

1 bar = 100,000 Pa ((10^{5}) N/m²)

1 bar ≈ 14.504 psi

For example:

If you have a 180 L drum that is 10% empty, the empty volume is 18 L.

If the flow rate is 22 L/min (12 mm bore ⌀, 5 pressure bars, 2 m of hose length), then you need to run the nitrogen for 2.5 min (3x18/22).

Close the container tightly immediately to contain the nitrogen. Store the container until ready to use.

Only use nitrogen gas to evacuate the air in applicable Part B resins.

Never use nitrogen gas with Part A or one-part resins, which could cause the material to gel and/or lead to printing problems.

For containers with only one opening, use the same opening for both input and output.

Resin Container Specifications

Resin products less than or equal to 5 L are packaged in boxes in the following sizes:

Container Type Boxes	Dimensions (L x W x H in)	Dimensions (L x W x H cm)
800 mL Cartridges	6 x 4 x 8	15.24 x 10.16 x 20.32
1.6 L Cartridges	7 x 6.125 x 13.25	17.78 x 15.56 x 33.66
3.2 L Bottles	7 x 6.125 x 13.25	17.78 x 15.56 x 33.66
5 L Jerry Cans	9.25 x 9.25 x 11.5	23.5 x 23.5 x 29.21

See the table below for the dimensions of the resin containers.

Dimensions noted are for a single container.

Be aware that 2-part resins have both Part A and Part B components, so your storage needs to accommodate 2 containers when storing cans, drums, and totes.

Container	Volume	Dimensions (L x W x H cm)
Cartridge 1:1	375 mL	8.9 × 4.4 × 22.9
Cartridge 2:1	375 mL	9.5 x 5.1 x 22.9
Cartridge 10:1	400 mL	8.9 × 7.0 × 22.9
Bottle	800 mL	12.6 × 15.7 × 31.4
Bottle	3.2 L	~ 17 x 15 x 29
Paint Can	3.6 L	16.8 x 16.8 x 19
Jerry Can	5L	~ 19 x 15 x 23
Drum	180 L	60 x 60 x 90
IBC Tote	1000 L	120 x 100 x 116

Solvent Storage

Always follow local regulations for solvent storage requirements and reference Safety Data Sheets (SDS) provided by the manufacturer.

See also Safety - Hazardous Waste for information on proper disposal.

Flammable Solvent Storage

Flammable solvents commonly used in DLS production:

IPA | 99% Isopropanol | CAS: 67-63-0

Acetone | 100% | CAS: 67-64-1

Reference Accessories & Supplies for purchasing links. These solvents are widely available and may also be purchased at the supplier of your choice.

Use a self-closing and self-latching flammables storage cabinet to store all flammable solvents.

Storing washtubs with solvent inside a secondary container is also advised within the flammable cabinet.

Choose a cabinet size to fit your production capacity. Reference Accessories & Supplies for purchasing links.

Low Flammability Solvent Storage

Solvents in flammability class 3 can generally be stored outside of a flammable cabinet. Always verify local regulations.

These common solvents used with DLS processes have low flammability values:

VF-1 | MS-767-3D-13 previously referred to as custom Vertrel™ solvent blend

DPM | 99% di(propylene glycol) methyl ether | CAS: 34590-94-8

DAA | 99% Diacetone Alcohol | CAS: 123-42-2

Reference Accessories & Supplies for purchasing links.

Store all solvents and washtubs with solvent inside a secondary containment vessel.

Always reference your resin's protocol sheet for the specific solvents used in your production workflows.