Vacuum Compatibility of 3-D-Printed Parts

We present the design and preliminary results of a mass spectrometry system to assess the vacuum compatibility of 3-D-printed parts. The setup consists of a sectional vacuum chamber with a residual gas analyzer, a radiation heater, windows, and an access port for quick sample exchange. The vacuum chamber is set up in such a way that the samples can be inserted and retrieved with minimal contamination to the vacuum system. We perform this by having two connected chambers with independent vacuum pumps, and using one for sample access at atmospheric pressure, and then transferring the sample to the main chamber once vacuum is equalized. The equipment will be used as part of the dusty plasma experiment at UMBC, since many of the plasma-facing parts are 3-D-printed.