<p>I found much the same question at <a href="http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?184,140966" rel="noreferrer">Does PLA outgas?</a> An answer there pointed to a NASA outgassing database, <a href="http://outgassing.nasa.gov" rel="noreferrer">Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft Materials</a>, and says that:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>ABS (unknown supplier), MakerGeeks PET and Makerbot PLA have been measured and are listed in the NASA database.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Poster there recommended PLA for lower outgassing, and clear PLA because there would be fewer additives to complicate the problem.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-17T14:54:09.007Z
0.56% total mass lost and 0.01% collected volatile condensable materials. Neat! So the practical answer is that PLA can be used in a vacuum.
Navin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-13T17:19:22.203Z
2017-02-03T02:12:31.270Z
2017-02-03T02:12:31.270Z
TextGeek
<p>Almost all of the FDM materials outgas even at normal atmospheric pressure, and, in fact, most plastics outgas.  Further, FDM and many other printing processes do not guarantee no internal voids - meaning that putting a 3D printed object into a vacuum may result in breakage, cracking, and possible explosion hazards.</p>

<p>For this reason I would focus only on SLA, as the model is printed within the liquid resin pool and should have a reduced possibility of internal voids.</p>

<p>Finding a resin that has a low out-gas rate after curing, though, is still going to be difficult. </p>

<p>For this to be answered more completely, you need to specify your tolerable outgassing rate, and the processes used inside the vacuum chamber.  For instance the answer would be completely different if you are discussing an electron microscope vs a sputtering chamber. As a start you might consider companies that specialize in <a href="http://www.boedeker.com/outgas.htm">engineered materials intended for vacuum use</a>. They may be able to provide guidance as to which of their materials might be 3D printed and usable in your setup.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-09T07:02:52.127Z
I agree, and also want to bring your 3D design to mind. If you have airpockets in your model, without explosion, you might create an artificial leak in your vacuum chamber. I am not aware if air pockets (however small they might be) are completely avoidable in FDM in general (I also guess this is what Adam says in the second paragraph).
kamuro
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-14T05:15:27.727Z
I recently put PLA parts, which had a lot of internal voids due to 30% infill, in a vacuum chamber and depressurized over ~15 seconds. There was no damage or warping at all. I think it's pretty unlikely that internal voids will cause breakage or an explosion -- the total force from 14psi in a tiny void is pretty small. Plus 3D-printed material isn't perfectly airtight, so trapped gases can escape as the chamber is depressurized.
Luke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-13T14:14:00.997Z
2016-01-13T14:14:00.997Z
Adam Davis
<p>This naturally depends on the ultimate pressure you require. I have made a few tests with LEGO pieces (ABS) in vacuum and reached 10<sup>-5</sup> mbar without problems. I did not try to go any lower.</p>

<p>Otherwise, have a look here: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.01792" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A 3D printed beam splitter for polar neutral molecules</a>.</p>

<p>A Formlabs Stereolithography machine was used there, producing a material that basically is PMMA. Pressures in the 10<sup>-8</sup> mbar range are possible with that. Recently, Formlabs has presented a resin that produces heatable plastic up to 280°C, and that can be baked to get into the 10<sup>-10</sup> mbar range (tested here).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-02T13:03:07.337Z
Are you missing a link? (tested here)
tjb1
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-06T15:04:32.503Z
You must have a really nice vacuum pump....
TextGeek
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-02T09:26:20.813Z
2017-02-03T02:12:50.790Z
2017-02-03T02:12:50.790Z
Kyamon
<p>At work, I put a 3d ABS part printed via 3d hubs (5*20*30), in the chamber at 1 mbar. No signs of breakage what so ever. No signs of sudden leaks.</p>

<p>Going anywhere below 1mbar, i.e., to 10^-infinity mbar, I think should theoretically still not cause any breakage or sudden leaks, as the expected mechanism of failure depends on the pressure difference; i.e., [1atm-1mbar] ~=[1atm-10^-infinity mbar].</p>

<p>Based on the above I have made some more parts to be put in a chamber at 1E-5 mbar.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-03-26T11:58:11.037Z
2018-08-08T05:11:39.497Z
2018-08-08T05:11:39.497Z
Pandian Le
<p>I want to fabricate a sample holder and shadow masks to use in vacuum chambers. The type of printing material is not important to me PLA/ABS/PC-ABS/nylon).</p>

<p>I'm worried that 3d printed objects (FDM) would degas under high vacuum. Is that an actual concern?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-16T19:04:39.903Z
Disclaimer: I don't work for these guys.
Take a look at MadeInSpace's 3D printer and materials... They spent a while getting a printer ready for use on the ISS and I know they spent time worrying about outgassing concerns. You might even be able to contact them directly to ask how they solved the problem.
PostEpoch
<abs><material><safety><health>
Would 3d-printed objects outgas in vacuum?
Sparkler
# Would 3d-printed objects outgas in vacuum?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-01-12)

I want to fabricate a sample holder and shadow masks to use in vacuum chambers. The type of printing material is not important to me PLA/ABS/PC-ABS/nylon).

I'm worried that 3d printed objects (FDM) would degas under high vacuum. Is that an actual concern?

**Tags:** abs, material, safety, health

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Disclaimer: I don't work for these guys. Take a look at MadeInSpace's 3D printer and materials... They spent a while getting a printer ready for use on the ISS and I know they spent time worrying about outgassing concerns. You might even be able to contact them directly to ask how they solved the problem.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-01-13. Score: 13

I found much the same question at [Does PLA outgas?](http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?184,140966) An answer there pointed to a NASA outgassing database, [Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft Materials](http://outgassing.nasa.gov), and says that:

> ABS (unknown supplier), MakerGeeks PET and Makerbot PLA have been measured and are listed in the NASA database.

Poster there recommended PLA for lower outgassing, and clear PLA because there would be fewer additives to complicate the problem.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 0.56% total mass lost and 0.01% collected volatile condensable materials. Neat! So the practical answer is that PLA can be used in a vacuum.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-01-13. Score: 12

Almost all of the FDM materials outgas even at normal atmospheric pressure, and, in fact, most plastics outgas. Further, FDM and many other printing processes do not guarantee no internal voids - meaning that putting a 3D printed object into a vacuum may result in breakage, cracking, and possible explosion hazards.

For this reason I would focus only on SLA, as the model is printed within the liquid resin pool and should have a reduced possibility of internal voids.

Finding a resin that has a low out-gas rate after curing, though, is still going to be difficult.

For this to be answered more completely, you need to specify your tolerable outgassing rate, and the processes used inside the vacuum chamber. For instance the answer would be completely different if you are discussing an electron microscope vs a sputtering chamber. As a start you might consider companies that specialize in [engineered materials intended for vacuum use](http://www.boedeker.com/outgas.htm). They may be able to provide guidance as to which of their materials might be 3D printed and usable in your setup.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: I agree, and also want to bring your 3D design to mind. If you have airpockets in your model, without explosion, you might create an artificial leak in your vacuum chamber. I am not aware if air pockets (however small they might be) are completely avoidable in FDM in general (I also guess this is what username_4 says in the second paragraph).  
> **username_6**: I recently put PLA parts, which had a lot of internal voids due to 30% infill, in a vacuum chamber and depressurized over ~15 seconds. There was no damage or warping at all. I think it's pretty unlikely that internal voids will cause breakage or an explosion -- the total force from 14psi in a tiny void is pretty small. Plus 3D-printed material isn't perfectly airtight, so trapped gases can escape as the chamber is depressurized.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2017-02-02. Score: 5

This naturally depends on the ultimate pressure you require. I have made a few tests with LEGO pieces (ABS) in vacuum and reached 10-5 mbar without problems. I did not try to go any lower.

Otherwise, have a look here: [A 3D printed beam splitter for polar neutral molecules](https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.01792).

A Formlabs Stereolithography machine was used there, producing a material that basically is PMMA. Pressures in the 10-8 mbar range are possible with that. Recently, Formlabs has presented a resin that produces heatable plastic up to 280°C, and that can be baked to get into the 10-10 mbar range (tested here).

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Are you missing a link? (tested here)  
> **username_2**: You must have a really nice vacuum pump....  

---

### Answer by username_9 on 2018-03-26. Score: 3

At work, I put a 3d ABS part printed via 3d hubs (5\*20\*30), in the chamber at 1 mbar. No signs of breakage what so ever. No signs of sudden leaks.

Going anywhere below 1mbar, i.e., to 10^-infinity mbar, I think should theoretically still not cause any breakage or sudden leaks, as the expected mechanism of failure depends on the pressure difference; i.e., [1atm-1mbar] ~=[1atm-10^-infinity mbar].

Based on the above I have made some more parts to be put in a chamber at 1E-5 mbar.


---

