<h1><strong>Wear Gloves.</strong></h1>
<h3>Returning is impossible</h3>
<p>Resin does not just <em>harden</em>, <a href="https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/138945/polymerisation-of-a-uv-curing-resin">it <strong>polymerizes</strong> into shape from monomers in a chemical reaction.</a> That means to break it down, you need to destroy the whole chemistry. There is no solvent that can simply reverse it.</p>
<h3>Wiping is easy</h3>
<p>As long as the rein is still liquid, you can wipe it off. Then clean the parts with Isopropylic alcohol.</p>
<h3>Manual work</h3>
<p>Destroying Resin-Polymers is incredibly hard for most solvents. The most simple solution is usually oddly enough to use physical force. Resins are super brittle and chip off, but might damage the paint coat in the worst case.</p>
<h3>Thermal shock</h3>
<p>If you can, you might put your printer in a cold environment and see the resin gaining cracks, as it shrinks slower and less than the metal. Then, putting it back into the heat adds more.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T02:04:26.997Z
2020-12-04T02:04:26.997Z
Trish
<p>I would try hexane, and then Dichloromethane and if those did not work, I would heat up sodium hydroxide to about 70-90 °C. These would work better if you print in PLA resin, it's available from a few sources now.</p>
<p>Bucktown polymers and 3Dresyns both have a water-soluble resin. You could also print, make a soft silicone mold, cast in chocolate or isomalt and quickly seal in b72 enamel to hold its shape for your next step.</p>
<p>Another great option is to cast the printed mold with Amazing Remelt as you can microwave it out of your shell afterward. Or heat up/steam.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-06T03:08:24.783Z
Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [Tour](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/tour) to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.
agarza
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-06T05:26:02.653Z
Hot sodium hydroxide solution will dissolve glass.
Christopher James Huff
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-06T01:06:07.060Z
2021-04-06T03:41:33.733Z
2021-04-06T03:41:33.733Z
David Russell
<p>Concentrated nitric acid will remove all organics, including your skin, wire insulation, etc.  It will work on a glass plate, but the fumes would eventually damage the plastics on your printer unless you remove the glass plate to clean it.  Nitric acid will destroy most build surfaces that are added to glass.  To a lesser extent concentrated sulfuric acid works, but it tends to leave carbon behind.  With these acids it takes special gloves, and I would not even depend too heavily on them always working.  The more concentrated the acids (the less water), the less they will attack metals.   Note: this will quickly strip the paint off metal parts.</p>
<p>Thus, you probably cannot find an aggressive chemical that is practical for you to use.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T15:40:43.847Z
Acids destroy the polymer
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T15:50:16.893Z
@Trish: Are there less aggressive acids, such as acetic acid that would destroy the polymer?
Perry Webb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T16:42:15.297Z
I.. don't think so. Anything that can't even break up proteins - which are basically super fragile polymers - can't have a chance against a photocuring resin.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T20:28:51.320Z
@Lu4: Keep an eye on recycle methods for resin polymers to see if they come up with something.
Perry Webb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-01T00:33:58.520Z
There is something even more aggressive on hydrocarbons, that would work on glass plates, but attacks metal aggressively.  It's too dangerous for this application, but used in the semiconductor industry before metallization.  It will destroy gloves and strip your hand to the bone.
Perry Webb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-01T13:00:50.303Z
There's always the Fluorine option.......
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-01T13:12:35.617Z
Fluorine will etch the glass. Piranha etch doesn't attack the glass, but gets it very clean.
Perry Webb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-01T13:14:29.730Z
Besides the trouble to even *get* hydroflouric acid, yes. Flourine and its acid are the most destructive material known to man at room temperature. IT's pretty much the *nuclear* option of chemistry.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-01T14:15:29.910Z
Hydrofluoric acid vapors will frost glass and are poisonous to breath.  Piranha etch is difficult to handle.  It will destroy any hydrocarbon, even carbon.  Thus, one can't use chemical gloves or even metal tools.  One would need glass containers and holders to dip the glass bed into the etch.  Piranha etch has a short lifetime and if not mixed properly, when making it, will splatter violently.
Perry Webb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-06T10:16:38.077Z
@Trish For an amusing read, you might like [Things I Won’t Work With: Dioxygen Difluoride](https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride). (There are [more](https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/category/things-i-wont-work-with) in that series.)
Andrew Morton
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T14:31:43.193Z
2021-04-06T09:01:41.977Z
2021-04-06T09:01:41.977Z
Perry Webb
<p>For the purpose of cleaning, I need an aggressive solvent for cured or partially cured resin that will degrade resin down to its liquid state. I'm looking for one that would eat out specifically resin (I'm using regular Anycubic green resin) in a rapid fashion but would leave painted / metallic parts and screen of my 3D printer without damage.</p>

<resin><safety><chemistry>
Aggressive resin solvent
Lu4
# Aggressive resin solvent

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-04)

For the purpose of cleaning, I need an aggressive solvent for cured or partially cured resin that will degrade resin down to its liquid state. I'm looking for one that would eat out specifically resin (I'm using regular Anycubic green resin) in a rapid fashion but would leave painted / metallic parts and screen of my 3D printer without damage.

**Tags:** resin, safety, chemistry


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-12-04. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Concentrated nitric acid will remove all organics, including your skin, wire insulation, etc. It will work on a glass plate, but the fumes would eventually damage the plastics on your printer unless you remove the glass plate to clean it. Nitric acid will destroy most build surfaces that are added to glass. To a lesser extent concentrated sulfuric acid works, but it tends to leave carbon behind. With these acids it takes special gloves, and I would not even depend too heavily on them always working. The more concentrated the acids (the less water), the less they will attack metals. Note: this will quickly strip the paint off metal parts.

Thus, you probably cannot find an aggressive chemical that is practical for you to use.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Acids destroy the polymer  
> **username_5**: @username_1: Are there less aggressive acids, such as acetic acid that would destroy the polymer?  
> **username_1**: I.. don't think so. Anything that can't even break up proteins - which are basically super fragile polymers - can't have a chance against a photocuring resin.  
> **username_5**: @username_0: Keep an eye on recycle methods for resin polymers to see if they come up with something.  
> **username_5**: There is something even more aggressive on hydrocarbons, that would work on glass plates, but attacks metal aggressively.  It's too dangerous for this application, but used in the semiconductor industry before metallization.  It will destroy gloves and strip your hand to the bone.  
> **username_1**: There's always the Fluorine option.......  
> **username_5**: Fluorine will etch the glass. Piranha etch doesn't attack the glass, but gets it very clean.  
> **username_1**: Besides the trouble to even *get* hydroflouric acid, yes. Flourine and its acid are the most destructive material known to man at room temperature. IT's pretty much the *nuclear* option of chemistry.  
> **username_5**: Hydrofluoric acid vapors will frost glass and are poisonous to breath.  Piranha etch is difficult to handle.  It will destroy any hydrocarbon, even carbon.  Thus, one can't use chemical gloves or even metal tools.  One would need glass containers and holders to dip the glass bed into the etch.  Piranha etch has a short lifetime and if not mixed properly, when making it, will splatter violently.  
> **username_6**: @username_1 For an amusing read, you might like [Things I Won’t Work With: Dioxygen Difluoride](https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2010/02/23/things_i_wont_work_with_dioxygen_difluoride). (There are [more](https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/category/things-i-wont-work-with) in that series.)  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-04. Score: 6

# **Wear Gloves.**

### Returning is impossible

Resin does not just *harden*, [it **polymerizes** into shape from monomers in a chemical reaction.](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/138945/polymerisation-of-a-uv-curing-resin) That means to break it down, you need to destroy the whole chemistry. There is no solvent that can simply reverse it.

### Wiping is easy

As long as the rein is still liquid, you can wipe it off. Then clean the parts with Isopropylic alcohol.

### Manual work

Destroying Resin-Polymers is incredibly hard for most solvents. The most simple solution is usually oddly enough to use physical force. Resins are super brittle and chip off, but might damage the paint coat in the worst case.

### Thermal shock

If you can, you might put your printer in a cold environment and see the resin gaining cracks, as it shrinks slower and less than the metal. Then, putting it back into the heat adds more.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-04-06. Score: 1

I would try hexane, and then Dichloromethane and if those did not work, I would heat up sodium hydroxide to about 70-90 °C. These would work better if you print in PLA resin, it's available from a few sources now.

Bucktown polymers and 3Dresyns both have a water-soluble resin. You could also print, make a soft silicone mold, cast in chocolate or isomalt and quickly seal in b72 enamel to hold its shape for your next step.

Another great option is to cast the printed mold with Amazing Remelt as you can microwave it out of your shell afterward. Or heat up/steam.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Welcome to 3D Printing SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the [Tour](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/tour) to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.  
> **username_4**: Hot sodium hydroxide solution will dissolve glass.  

---

