'Hi, I'm Tom (@TomHe). I'm a Material Engineer at Ultimaker, I started in 2015 as an intern to finish my Chemical Engineering Master from Eindhoven University of Technology.' ...
Tom has worked for Ultimaker for 3 years already and has played a role in many of the Ultimaker products we all use regularly. Tom started in 2015 working on PVA. His graduation project evolved around producing and 3D printing carbon nanotubes, and graphene filled materials (for electrical conductivity). Other responsi
When PVA is exposed to humidity, water molecules slowly creep into the polymer structure. Because the water molecules are really attracted to the polymer chains, this happens faster with PVA than with our other materials. The water molecules actually push the polymer chains apart, decreasing the effective glass temperature of the material. When too much water is absorbed, the material becomes moldable at room temperature and the filament will melt together. Wet PVA prints with a lot of bubbles,