3D
Printing
Materials
Traditionally, 3D Printing is focused on polymers for using as materials for printing, due to the ease of manufacturing and handling. However, the method has rapidly evolved to not only print various polymers but also metals, and ceramics, making 3D Printing a versatile option for manufacturing.
In the raw material used for 3D Printing, there are many choices available in filament. We'll talk about the common ones like PLA and PETG, plus the fancy ones or the exotic ones which let you be real creative. In these apart from thermoplastics, there are nylon, polycarbonate, carbon fibre, polypropylene, and more. Not to limit, there are some special blends which can conduct electricity or glow in the dark too! As there are so many exciting options & features of these materials, it becomes easier to create functional, visually attractive, and also high performance objects. There are roughly six commonly used filament as shown here -
Common
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PLA
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ABS
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PETG (PET, PETT)
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TPE, TPU, TPC
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Nylon
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PC
Exotic
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Wood
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Metal
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Bio-degradable
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Conductive
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Glow-in-the-dark
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Magnetic
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Colour Changing
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Ceramic / Clay
Professional
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Carbon Fibre
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HIPS
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PVA
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Cleaning
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Wax
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ASA
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PP
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PC - ABS
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POM
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PMMA
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FPE
PLA
What is PLA?
PLA means Polylactic Acid. It is often compared to ABS but it is the most popular filament used.
Features -
It is easy to print with, it has lower temperature than ABS, and it does not warp as easily which means it does not require a heating bed. It also does not have an off-putting odour during printing unlike ABS. Although it is considered an odourless filament, depending on the type, it can have sweet candy-like fumes. It is available in variety of colours and styles. Some of the uncommon exotic filament use PLA as their base, which have conductivity or glow in the dark properties, to those infused with wood or metal. The important feature is it is environmentally friendly which is made from renewable sources like corn starch or sugar cane.
Properties -
Strengths: High, Low Flexibility, Medium Durability
Low difficulty to use
Print temperature: 180°C - 230°C
Print bed temperature: 20°C - 60°C
Shrinkage/ Warpage: Minimal
Soluble: No
It is brittle, so avoid using it when the object is to be bent, twisted, or dropped repeatedly such as phone cases, high wear toys, or tool handles. Also, avoid it using in high temperature environment. The ideal usage would be models, low wear toys, prototype parts or containers.
ABS
What is ABS?
ABS means Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. It is the second most popular 3D Printing filament, after PLA.
Features -
ABS is actually superior to PLA despite being slightly more difficult to print with. It is found in many household and consumer goods such as LEGO bricks and bicycle helmets. Products made of ABS have high durability and withstand high temperature, but due to its high printing temperature, it warps during cooling plus has intense & hazardous fumes. It requires heated bed unlike PLA, and must be in a well-ventilated space.
Properties -
Strengths: High, Medium Flexibility, High Durability
Medium Difficulty to use
Print temperature: 210°C - 250°C
Print bed temperature: 80°C - 110°C
Shrinkage / Warpage: Considerable
Soluble: in esters, ketones and acetone
Along with the above mentioned features, ABS is tough and it withstands high stress & temperature. It really shines when the objects are frequently handled, dropped or heated. Examples include phone cases, high wear toys, tool handles, automotive trim components & electrical things.
PETG
What is PETG?
PETG means a variant of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). It is the most commonly used plastic in the world. Best known as the polymer used in the drinking water bottles. It is also present in the clothing fibres & food containers. The G stands for "Glycol Modified".
Features -
There are many brands offering their own colours, blends and properties of PETG. Because of the Glycol, the filament is clearer, less brittle and most importantly easier to print and thus it is kind of in the middle between ABS & PLA where PETG is more flexible & durable than PLA, and easier to print than ABS. It is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture in the air, so the printer and the filament is required to keep in a cool & dry place. It is sticky when it is being printed, making it is a poor choice for support structures but it is good for layer adhesion. It also scratches more easily than ABS. On the other hand, Polyethylene coTrimethylene Terephthalate (PETT) is another variant which is slightly more rigid than PETG. The key feature of this is the transparency.
Properties -
Strengths: High, Medium Flexibility, High Durability
Low Difficulty to use
Print Temperature: 220°C - 250°C
Print bed temperature: 50°C - 75°C
Shrinkage / Warpage: Minimal
Soluble: No
PETG is a good all-rounder in consideration with its flexibility, strength, resistance to both high temp and impact. It makes an ideal choice for filament to make mechanical parts, printer parts and protective components.
TPE
What is TPE?
TPE means Thermoplastic Elastomers. These are essentially plastic with rubber-like features making them extremely flexible and durable. It is used to make automotive parts, household appliances and medical supplies.
Features -
It is soft and stretchable. These can withstand the kind of physical punishment that neither ABS nor PLA can tolerate. These are not easy to print as they can be difficult to extrude. Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is a particular variety of TPE. Compared to generic TPE, TPU is slightly more rigid - making it easier to print. It is also more durable and can retain its elasticity in the cold. Thermoplastic coPolyester (TPC) is another variety of TPE but it is not as common as TPU. Similar to TPE, TPC is also high resistant to chemical and UV exposure.
Properties -
Strengths: Medium, Very high Flexibility, Very high durability
Low to Medium Difficulty to use
Print Temperature: 210°C - 230°C
Print bed temperature: 30°C - 60°C
Shrinkage / Warpage: Minimal
Soluble: No
Where there is a lot of wear, TPE or TPU objects are good. These objects can also bend, stretch or compression. Examples are toys, phone cases or wearables. TPC on the other hand can work in harsher outdoor environments.
Nylon
What is NYLON?
It is a popular Synthetic Polymer currently used in many industrial applications. At far, it is considered the strongest, most flexible and most durable.
Features
A unique characteristic of this material is that you can dye it, either before or after the printing process. Just like PETG, it is also hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture in the air, so it has to be stored in cool & dry place. Out of all the grades of Nylon, 618 & 645 are the most common ones.
Properties
Strengths: High, High Flexibility, High Durability
Medium Difficulty to use
Print Temperature: 240°C - 260°C
Print bed temperature: 70°C - 100°C
Shrinkage / Warpage: Considerable
Soluble: No
The usage of this material is to create tools, functional prototypes or mechanical parts like hinges, buckles or gears.
PC
What is PC?
PC means Polycarbonate. It is one of the strongest material in the list and is extremely durable, resistant to both physical impact and heat, also can withstand temperatures up to 110°C. It is also transparent which is suitable for bulletproof glass, scuba masks & electronic display screens.
Features
It should not be confused with Acrylic or Plexiglass because they tend to shatter under stress, despite of being similar in features with PC. Unlike these two materials, PC is flexible, allowing it to be bent until it deforms. PC is also hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture in the air, so it also has to be stored in a cool & dry place.
Properties
Strengths: Very High, Medium Flexibility, Very High Durability
Medium Difficulty to use
Print Temperature: 270°C - 310°C
Print bed temperature: 90°C - 110°C
Shrinkage / Warpage: Considerable
Soluble: No
PC objects retain their strength, toughness, and shape in high temperature environments such as electrical, mechanical or automotive components. There is also optical clarity for lighting projects, screens and other transparent applications.
Wood
It's not really wood, of course! It's PLA infused with Wood Fibre.
There are many Wood-PLA blends exist now-a-days, and these include more standard wood varieties such as Pine, Birch, Cedar, Ebony and Willow but the range also extends itself to less common types like Bamboo, Cherry, Coconut, Cork and Olive.
Compared to other 3D Printing materials types, this material has aesthetic and tactile appeal but it comes with a cost of reduced flexibility and strength. Too much heat can also result in burnt or caramelised appearance. To avoid some of the disadvantages of this material, improvement can be done with some post-processing. Wood filament can also cause wear & tear to the nozzle of the printer. Wood is popular and the objects are more appreciated for their natural appearance than their functional capabilities. It is mostly used when the objects are displayed on a desk or table or shelf. Examples include bowls, and awards. The most important use of this material is in the architecture field for the creation of different scale models.
Metal
Metal filament is not really fully made from metal. It's actually a mix of metal powder and either PLA or ABS, which still gives the results from having the look and feel of metal. Even with the weight is like metal, the blends are several times denser than pure PLA or ABS.
A few varieties of this filament would be Bronze, Brass, Copper, Aluminium, and Stainless Steel which are commercially available. Any specific look can be given to the objects with a little post-processing. Printer nozzle may need replacement a little sooner because of the abrasive grains in the metal powder. The most common filament blends tend to be around 50% metal powder and 50% PLA or ABS, but some of the other blends have up to 85% metal in it.
Examples of this material would be objects with not only aesthetic looks but also some functionality in them. Models, toys, tokens etc also look good in this material. As long as there's no stress, this material is used to make tools, grates or finishing components.
Bio-degradable
This material filament has a unique category, since its most valuable characteristic is not just the physical nature, but the environmentally friendly nature as a best alternative to plastics. PLA is a biodegradable filament. Regardless of these materials' primary characteristic of being environmentally friendly, they produce the items with great physical qualities. This material is used when there's no need of any strength, flexibility or endurance, and, they can be specifically used for prototyping.
Conductive
Why should only Mechanical Engineers have all the fun! Now its time for some electrical & computer engineers...
With the addition of conductive carbon particulates to PLA or ABS, it's easy to print low voltage electronic circuits. This type of material is not only limited to print circuit boards but also circuit boards with LEDs, sensors, gaming controllers, digital keyboards and trackpad etc.
Glow-in-the-dark
As the name says, leave your print in the light for a while, and then switch off the light to experience different colour glow. It can be green, blue, red, pink, yellow or orange.
This material has phosphorescent materials mixed in with the PLA or ABS as the base material. This material first absorbs and later emits the photons which are tiny particles of light - they store the energy before they release it later.
Thickness plays an important role in it, the thicker the wall, the stronger the glow. So, thick walls are recommended. The main use of such glow-in-the-dark 3D printed objects would be during Halloween. Other examples are Jewellery, toys & wearables.
Magnetic
This exotic filament material is a cross between PLA or ABS and powdered iron, featuring grainy, gunmetal finish which sticks to magnets.
Although, this material blend is ferromagnetic, meaning that it is attracted to magnetic fields, it has no magnetic field of its own. It will stick to magnets but these are not actually magnets.
Household things like ornaments on the fridge, toys or tools are the examples of this material.
Colour
Changing
This special material can change the colour based on the changes in the temperature. The change is between two colours, like purple to pink, blue to green, or yellow to green. As with other materials, this filament is available in blends of both PLA and ABS. As there are no special functional requirements, these objects can be used for aesthetically driven applications. Good for phone cases, wearables, toys and containers.
Ceramic
This filament material contains a mixture of clay and polymer. Ceramic is one of the strongest ones for faux-pottery. It is brittle, so care is required to properly handle & print them. Another example of this filament has near-authentic results. It is fireable in a kiln after printing. The polymer binding the ceramic particles leave behind a slightly shrunken, but hardened final print and can be spruced up with a ceramic glaze in post-processing.
Carbon
Fibre
When filament like PLA, ABS, PETG and Nylon are reinforced with Carbon Fibre, then the results are extremely stiff, rigid material with relatively light weight. Such components shine in structural applications which must withstand variety of end-use applications. The only major issue with using this material is the wear & tear of printer nozzle. Because of the structural strength, and low density, it is an excellent material for mechanical strength.
HIPS
It is called as "High Impact Polystyrene" - a copolymer which combines the hardness of polystyrene and the elastic properties of rubber, which is commonly seen in the protective packaging.
When HIPS is combined with ABS as the base material in a dual extrusion printer, it helps in the support structures required for different types of shapes of the objects where the curved or overhanging surfaces are. HIPS really fills any gaps in the design. When immersed in Limonene, these support structures can be removed easily, leaving behind the best quality final products. HIPS & ABS is the only combination works perfectly with each other since other based materials have damage issues when the printed product is immersed in Limonene. This combination is compatible because of the similar strength, stiffness and print temperature needed.
HIPS is stronger than both PLA & ABS, warps less than ABS and can easily be glued, sanded or painted. It is kind of all-rounder material when it comes to wear & tear or requires fine finishing & good looking objects.
PVA
It is Polyvinyl Alcohol. It is soluble in water which is the best option in some commercial usage. It is popular for dishwasher detergent pods or finishing baits bag.
Like HIPS, PVA is also a great support material when paired with another base material in dual extrusion 3D Printer. It is preferred over HIPS because it can be used to support more base material than just ABS.
Disadvantage of this is that it is slightly more difficult to handle. Also, moisture in the air can also damage it prior to printing. Dry boxes and silica pouches are a must for a long run.
Cleaning
This material is not used for printing actually, but for cleaning the 3D Printer extruders. It cleans any leftover material from the previous prints. It is mainly used when there's a transition from one filament material to another which have different print temperatures or colours.
It is generally used like any other material where it is fed through heated print head to forcefully clean the old material, let it cool down for some time and then repeating the process again.
In this process, the print temperature depends upon the previously used material as well as the next one to be used. Generally cleaning filament is table between 150°C to 280°C. Only 10cm of filament is sufficient for a one time cleaning. Cleaning can be done by other methods as well, without this filament material, but it is recommended to use it if specially there is a significant change between the print temperatures of the two consecutive runs.
Wax
Almost any shape object can be created with the help of any material like Brass, Tin or etc, using a 3D Printed Wax mould. After a few extra steps, a real shiny metal part can come to life without any traditional methods.
The process is called as "lost wax" casting in which firstly a positive wax mould is created which is actually a replica of the intended part, then the mould is dipped in the plaster where it gets dried, and then at last, this dried wax-plaster is put in the oven where the was gets melted away at high enough temperature, leaving a negative space within the plaster in which the metal product can be casted.
These are much softer than other filament materials so have to be handled carefully. Printer extruder may need to modify for such material plus the adhesive is required to be used for the print bed. It gives a good flexibility in designing complex shape parts that fit in lost-wax process.
ASA
It means Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate, an excellent alternative to ABS due to some of ABS's flaws. It is a very good weather resistant material and so it is commonly used in the automotive industry.
It is strong, rigid, and relatively easy to print with. It is very good resistant to chemical exposure, heat, and most importantly changes in shape and colour. It does not become yellowish when left outside like ABS does. It also warps less than ABS during printing but the only issue with ASA is it can get cracked if it is windy during printing.
Anything from custom garden tools, birdhouse to replacement outlet covers etc are some of the examples of this materials.
PP
Polypropylene (PP) is tough, flexible, lightweight, resistant to chemical exposure, food-safe, and so it has a very good broader range of applications from engineering, food packaging, textiles etc many more.
Unfortunately, it is not a friendly material to print with because its warpage issues compared to other materials. Otherwise, it would be an excellent alternative to both PLA & ABS because of its strong mechanical and chemical properties. As it is already used for many household products, it is easy to recycle it and turn into 3D Printer filament. If the warping issue gets under control, then this material can be used in unlimited recyclable industry applications.
PC-ABS
Polycarbonate ABS alloy is a tough thermoplastic, combining the strength and heat resistance of polycarbonate with the flexibility of ABS. It is commonly used in automotive, electronics & tele-communication etc. applications being the most widely used thermoplastic in the world.
It is slightly complicated to print, because first, it is hygroscopic, and so it is recommended to bake it before printing; and second, it requires high printing temperature up tp 260°C; and third, it tends to warp, so high print bed temperature is required at least 100°C to 140°C.
Good examples of this material are functional prototyping, tooling, small batch of end-use parts which can withstand small amount of shock or impact and etc.
POM
Polyoxymethylene (POM), also referred as Acetal and Delrin, it well known for its heavy use in engineering plastic where the parts have movement or require high precision.
Acetal is commonly used in gears, bearings, camera mechanism & zippers. It performs exceptionally well due to its high strength, rigidity, resistance to wear and most importantly low coefficient of friction. Unlike other 3D Printing filament materials, 3D printed POM parts are as functional as professionally mass-manufactured parts. It requires a heated print bed while printing because the first layer does not always stick to the print bed surface.
POM really works well in the moving parts which are needed to be low friction and tough. Remote controlled cars have gear mechanisms where this material is a perfect use.
PMMA
It is Polymethyl Methacrylate, commonly known as Acrylic or Plexiglas. It is lightweight, shatter-resistant as best alternative to glass.
3D Printing of PMMA can be a little difficult. To prevent warpage issue and maximum clarity, its extrusion while printing must be consistent and also with high nozzle temperature. Enclosed print chamber would be a good idea for better regulated cooling. Some of the important features of PMMA are rigidity, impact resistance, transparency used for colourful toys or replacement window pane. Since it is not very flexible, applications where objects are bent, should be avoided.
FPE
Flexible Polyester (FPE) is a generic name given to this filament which combines rigidity and softness of polymers. It is similar to PLA but softer and more flexible.
It has good layer-to-layer adhesion, and high resistance to heat & many chemical compounds. There is a wide range of FPE 3D printer filament available and their names show the how much flexible they are compared to their other variants like 85A & 60D. The higher the number, the lesser the flexibility.
Although, most of the 3D Printing materials are flexible, a specific type of FPE can be selected based upon their easiness to print & vice versa.