3D Printing materials and Photo Chemistry

I thought I had seen a few related project threads here over the last few years, but I can't seem to find them any longer.

Have been playing around with prototyping some equipment to make working with film projects a little easier for me, but have been hitting a gap on clear info with regards to 3D printing and photo chemistry.

I'll admit that my knowledge of chemistry is probably in that fun space of 'knowing more than enough to walk into problems, with confidence', but I'm fairly confident that the typical black and white chemistry will be fine when in contact with typical quality PLA plastics, and a few small scale tests have shown no issues.

Less clear is whether or not C41 and E6 chemistry is going to play as nice.

Not planning to use any of this to store chemistry long term, just for active development sessions.

Any better chemists than myself familiar with 3D printing materials and their safety with a wider range of photo chemistry?

I suspect that the biggest risk is really any added pigment more so than the base PLA itself.

Switching to the less common HDPE is also an option for most 3D printers [And would put a more comfortable space between C41's working temp and PLA's max working temp], but I would rather stick with the easier and more common plastic if it can be expected to work 'good enough'.

20th Century Camera makes some 3D printed reels for developing sheet film out of ABS, and as far as I know, no problems have been reported.

PETG which is essentially soda bottle plastic, seems OK.

I think I'd be cautious with PLA, as it can start softening around 110F (although it's usually a bit higher, in the 120+ range). I'd also be concerned about exposing it to the bleach-- I found a video where someone soaked some PLA prints in bleach for 5 hours, and the results were "inconclusive". All I could find on solubility was "Chlorinated solvents, hot benzene, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane".

I have been using a 20th Century 4x5 Reel at least 4x week for the last 6 months with zero problems in b/w chemistry.

grat said:

I'd also be concerned about exposing it to the bleach-

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I don't think photographic bleach would be a concern. It's not related to chlorine bleach after all.

The concern would mostly apply to RA4 developer, which is rather caustic, but brief exposure to it would probably do little damage. It might shorten the lifespan of the equipment. All other common photographic chemistry isn't particularly harmful for polymers.

I've processed dozens of sheet films in ABS plastic drain pipe, never seen a problem (B&W only, but including Parodinal with its very high pH). That would be my choice if I were printing my own photographic items to go into developers and other chemicals.

Yeah, ABS is decent, although you shouldn't use it for items in a fish tank, as one 3D printer user found out.

I just hate printing with ABS. It pretty much requires an enclosure, and you have to manage shrinking. PETG is easily my favorite filament.

I have a swizzle stick for a Yankee Clipper II that seems to have been printed in PLA -- haven't tried it in color chemistry or temperature (but probably will sometime soon, I have some Lomography Tiger 110), but it's apparently been fine in Xtol at room temperature.

grat said:

I just hate printing with ABS. It pretty much requires an enclosure, and you have to manage shrinking. PETG is easily my favorite filament.

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That's kind of the summary of why I was hoping someone could show up with confident evidence on whether or not PLA would hold up nicely, but so far the confidence one way or the other isn't all that inspiring.

I've worked with ABS pipe, sheets, and rod, and like it well enough, but I've yet to print with it on my own gear, and it really does sound like a royal pain. Oh well.

Best I can suggest is to make a PLA part and test it in developing chemicals. I'm fairly confident it's okay in B&W chemistry -- at the least, I know of at least one maker who sells a 16mm developing reel to fit a Paterson tank (not certain it's PLA, however; I don't have one).

I'd think PLA would hold up fine, but frankly I'm beginning to think PLA isn't that great a material apart from ease of printing. If it were me, I think I'd just make the parts from PETG and be done with it. I haven't actually printed PETG myself yet, though. My friend has and it seems decent enough.