3D Printing InfoWhere it is used
Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1
Sources
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 · 2024-11 · tds
Support materials · Material guide
PVA (soluble support)
The standard water-soluble support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG. At 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption it is by a wide margin the most moisture-sensitive material in the dataset and is…
Open in interactive comparisonUnderstand the material
At a glance
Before you print
- Setup difficulty
- Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture
- Nozzle wear
- Non-abrasive
Read the full material overview
The standard water-soluble support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG. At 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption it is by a wide margin the most moisture-sensitive material in the dataset and is unusable once wet.
Applications
PVA is used as water-removable support for overhangs, delicate features and internal structures. The support carries geometry during printing and is then dissolved, so it can avoid the force that mechanical removal applies to the finished model. The particular model/support combination matters: Polymaker's current PolyDissolve S1 guidance names its PLA, TPU, PVB and nylon-based filaments; other PVA products have their own compatibility limits.
This is a sacrificial role rather than a durable part material. Very high moisture uptake makes dry feeding important, and support removal requires water circulation, accessible openings and time. The manufacturer warns that switching between dissimilar materials in one nozzle increases clogging risk. Warmer moving water can accelerate dissolution, but the model must tolerate the bath; enclosed cavities still need a way for water and dissolved support to escape.
Sources
- AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 · 2024-11 · tds
- PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page · 2026-08 · vendor
Printed examples
Drying Elephant with Dissolvable Supports ↗
The uploader used Orbi-tech PVA as sacrificial supports for the elephant dish rack, then dissolved the supports in cold water overnight. The model body is a separate material; this is an example of PVA support use.
Material evidence & listing attribution
Listing note: “I printed with Orbi-tech PVA as support material, solved in cold water overnight.”
Printables listing uploaded by 3D Print Tech Design · CC BY 4.0Original listing · Checked 2026-10-17. This is an uploader report, not an independent material test.
Find more models
Plan your printer setup
All print settings ↓Printing quick reference
Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.
Nozzle temperature (°C)
215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)
Full value & sources
215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 · 2024-11 · tds
Bed temperature (°C)
25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)
Full value & sources
25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 · 2024-11 · tds
Enclosure
Open frame is fine
Drying
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Full value & sources
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—Go deeper when you need to
49 documented fieldsProperties & source data
Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.
Material & market7 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Base polymer / chemistry | Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer | 2 sources
|
| Density (g/cm³) | 0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1) | 2 sources
|
| Typical price (USD/kg) | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66 | 4 sources
|
| Price range across brands (USD/kg) | 42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm | 5 sources
|
| Market availability (1–5) | Stocked by most mainstream brands | 5 sources
|
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools | 2 sources
|
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1 | 1 source
|
Print settings10 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1) | 1 source
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | 25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1) | 1 source
|
| Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5) | Open frame is fine | 1 source
|
| Part cooling fan | Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D) | 1 source
|
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape | 1 source
|
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s) | 4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer | 1 source
|
| Bed-adhesion difficulty (1–5) | Sticks to most surfaces | 1 source
|
| Stringing / oozing tendency (1–5) | Moderate — retraction tuning needed | 1 source
|
| Overall printing difficulty (1–5) | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture | 2 sources
|
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material | 1 source
|
Nozzle wear & reliability5 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle hardness required (1–4) | Brass fine indefinitely | 1 source
|
| Abrasiveness (1–5) | Non-abrasive | 1 source
|
| Nozzle clog risk (1–5) | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle | 1 source
|
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity (1–5) | High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding | 1 source
|
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot | 1 source
|
Moisture & drying5 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity) (1–5) | Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset | 1 source
|
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%) | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1) | 1 source
|
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging | 1 source
|
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material | 1 source
|
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here | 2 sources
|
Strength & mechanical properties3 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Creep resistance / sustained load (1–5) | Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally | 1 source
|
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance (1–5) | Poor — fails after a few cycles | 1 source
|
| Wear resistance & friction | 3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material | 1 source
|
Heat & temperature3 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | 60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC) | 1 source
|
| Continuous service temperature (°C) | Bounded by a glass transition of 60 °C | 1 source
|
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published | 1 source
|
Weather & chemical resistance7 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| UV resistance (1–5) | Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters | 1 source
|
| Chemical resistance | Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment | 2 sources
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| Water / humidity resistance in service (1–5) | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design | 2 sources
|
| Food contact | Not offered as a food-contact material | 1 source
|
| Biodegradability / compostability | PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance | 1 source
|
| Recyclability | Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling | 1 source
|
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA) | 1 source
|
Health & safety2 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fume toxicity (1–5) | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study | |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5) | Open a window / occasional ventilation |
Finishing & post-processing4 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Sanding & machining | Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished | 1 source
|
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support | 1 source
|
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Water is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used | 1 source
|
| Support material pairing | This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG | 1 source
|
Solvents & solubility3 fields
| Property and unit | Published value and conditions | Sources and dates |
|---|---|---|
| Soluble in | Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours. | 2 sources
|
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact. | 1 source
|
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface. | 1 source
|
How to read these values
Values describe representative grades, not every spool. Manufacturer datasheets and independent tests retain their source labels and dates. Printed orientation, test method, conditioning and formulation can change results. Unknown values are —. A listed use is not a certification. Shore A, Shore D and Rockwell hardness are separate scales.
Find a specific filament
5 listingsProduct listings and datasheets
Historical USD/kg snapshots. Read each listing’s sale/from qualifiers, spool mass, source date, shipping and tax notes. Product figures are separate from the material summary.
Browse 5 products from 5 brands
IEMAI 3DE-WATER42.00 USD/kg
$42.00 / 1 kg spool, store.iemai3d.com, Aug 2026
Natural, 1.75 mm. Sold for general engineering polymers and their composites rather than for high-temperature resins, which IEMAI covers with the separate HT-SP grade. IEMAI 3D publishes no specification for this support material: the store page lists only diameter, weight and colour, and the IEMAI3D datasheet library covers its printing filaments and pellets but carries no entry for E-WATER, E-REMOVE or HT-SP.
Open product listing ↗- IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page · 2026-08 · vendor
YXPOLYERPVA54.99 USD/kg
$54.99 / 1 kg spool, yxpolyer.com, Aug 2026
States 2.5–4 h dissolution and RoHS/REACH compliance; no technical data sheet is published. YXPOLYER publishes no specification of any kind for this filament: the product page carries marketing bullets only, and yxpolyer.com has no downloads, data-sheet or technical section.
Open product listing ↗- YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page · 2026-08 · vendor
Reli3DPVA65.98 USD/kg
$32.99 / 500 g spool = $65.98/kg, amazon.com, Aug 2026
Reli3D publishes no data sheet for this grade. The nozzle temperature is the row for this ASIN in the manufacturer's own Amazon brand-store comparison table; no bed temperature, density, dissolution time or mechanical data is published anywhere on the listing.
Open product listing ↗- Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing · 2026-08 · vendor
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm, 500 g |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 190–230 |
|
PolymakerPolyDissolve S166.65 USD/kg
$49.99 / 0.75 kg spool = $66.65/kg, Polymaker product catalogue, Aug 2026
Handle polydissolve-s1. Equilibrium water absorption 10.21 %.
Open product listing ↗- Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 product page · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 · 2024-11 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.13 (ISO 1183) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 215–225 |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | 25–60 |
|
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH (%) | 10.21 equilibrium water absorption |
|
3DXTechAquaTek PVA96.00 USD/kg
$72.00 / 750 g spool at 1.75 mm = $96.00/kg; the 500 g and 1 kg spools 3DXTech lists at $32.00 and $64.00 are 2.85 mm only, 3dxtech.com product catalogue, Aug 2026
Handle aquatek-pva-1.
Open product listing ↗- 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page · 2026-08 · vendor
- AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 · 2026-08 · tds
| Density (g/cm³) | 0.6–0.9 (ISO 1183) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle temperature (°C) | 190–220 |
|
| Bed temperature (°C) | 23–70 |
|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | 60 (DSC) |
|
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance >10^13 Ω/sq (ASTM D257) |
|