R1234yf is anew refrigerant for passenger cars, air conditioners and other refrigeration apparatus introduced in 2011. R134a and R1234yf are very similar, however, R1234yf was created to be a more environmentally friendly replacement to R134a. How well do resin 3D-printed parts work with Tetrafluoropropene refrigerants like R134A and R1324yf? A leading company specialized in refrigeration systems tested two Liqcreate 3D-printing resins with these refrigerants. If you are looking for other compatibility of Liqcreate resins on other chemicals, we have published a lot of information in this article.
The tests were done following our partners standard protocols. The 3D-printed parts were placed in an autoclave filled with various combinations of refrigerants and oils. The 3D-printed parts stayed in a temperature chamber at exactly 90°C for a week. Before the start of the test, the parts were weighed, and the diameters measured.
The filling compositions used:
| Nr. | Refrigerants | Oils |
| 1 | R1234yf | PAG |
| 2 | R1234yf | POE |
| 3 | R134a | PAG |
| 4 | R134a | POE |
Chemical compatibility with R134a and R1234yf on 3D-printed parts
Average values over this period can be found in the table below:
| Combination | Material | Weight change | Dimensional change |
| R1234yf / PAG | Deep Blue | + 2,284 % | + 0,271 % |
| R1234yf / PAG | Strong-X | n/a | n/a |
| R1234yf / POE | Deep Blue | + 2,698 % | + Â 0,271 % |
| R1234yf / POE | Strong-X | + 2,013 % | + 0,014 % |
| R134a / PAG | Deep Blue | + 5,861 % | + 1,354 % |
| R134a / PAG | Strong-X | + 2,731 % | + 0,881 % |
| R134a / POE | Deep Blue | + 5,321 % | + 1,014 % |
| R134a / POE | Strong-X | + 2,985 % | + 1,018 % |
The Liqcreate engineers would like to thank the external engineers for testing and sharing the results.
What about other resins and chemical compatibility and chemical compatibility with different chemicals?
This article has more information on other chemicals tested. These tested resins and chemicals are good selection of industrial chemicals and resins available from Liqcreate. If you are interested in chemical resistant and chemical compatibility of other Liqcreate resins, send us an e-mail . All that remains is to wish you good luck with your project. If there are any questions, please contact Liqcreate: info@liqcreate.com.
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Find your chemical resistant and chemical compatible and chemical resistant 3D-print resins.
Deep Blue
Liqcreate Deep Blue is a general purpose photopolymer for DLP and SLA technologies in the range of 385 – 405nm. Parts created with Liqcreate Deep Blue have a rigid character and its low shrinkage and high shape retention make this material perfect for the production of functional prototypes. The aesthetically pleasing blue color, low odor and overall properties make the material perfect for rapid manufacturing and prototyping in the prosumer market. Deep Blue is the first choice in chemical compatible and chemical resistant 3D-print resins.
Key benefits |
3D-Printer compatibility |
| ·       Smooth surface finish | ·       Atum3D DLP Station 5 |
| ·       High accuracy | ·    Formlabs Form2 |
| ·    Excellent chemical compatibility | ·    Sprintray Moonray S & D |
| ·       Low shrinkage | ·    Cubicon Lux HD |
| ·       High translucency | ·     And many more |
Strong-X
Liqcreate Strong-X is one of the strongest materials available in the market. Its flexural strength of 135MPa is comparable to industry’s leading dual-cure cyanate ester resins. Liqcreate Strong-X is easy to use on all open source SLA and DLP 3D-printers in the range of 385 – 405nm and only requires UV post-curing. This material has excellent features like high strength, high stiffness and high temperature resistance which makes it ideal for injection molding and heavy duty applications.
Key benefits |
3D-Printer compatibility |
| ·       High strength | ·       Epax3D Series |
| ·       High temperature resistance | ·    Formlabs Form2 |
| ·    Good chemical compatibility | ·    Asiga & Anycubic series |
| ·       Low shrinkage | ·    And many more |
