Plastics for 3D Printing - Materials - Make: 3D Printing (2014)

Make: 3D Printing (2014)

Part IV. Materials

Chapter 8. Plastics for 3D Printing

An overview of 3D printing filament—from rigid to rubbery to dissolvable.

Sean Ragan and Matt Stultz

Desktop 3D printing filaments used to be limited to ABS and PLA, but there are now a range of different materials on the market. Basic printing temperature ranges are listed here, but keep in mind that recommended nozzle and bed temperatures vary with filament suppliers and the printer used. In addition, when printing at accelerated speeds, the upper temperature range is recommended to keep the filament moving and avoid clogged nozzles.

For a list of vendors that sell 3D printer filament, see Printers, Filament, and Parts.

Polylactic Acid (PLA)

PLA is available in many colors and can be opaque or translucent. A popular choice for 3D printing, it is plant-derived (corn or potatoes) and biodegradable. LayWoo-d3, LayBrick and FlexPLA are all specialized varieties of PLA. All varieties of PLA also adhere well to heated kapton or glass at 60º, which produces a smooth bottom surface finish on the printed part.

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Nozzle temp:

185–235°C

Bed temp:

Ambient to 60°C

Print surface:

Blue painter’s tape, heated glass, Kapton tape, sign cutting vinyl

Polylactic Acid (Soft/Flexible PLA)

Soft PLA is rubbery and flexible when printed, but comes in limited colors. For best results, print at a lower printing speed than regular PLA.

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Nozzle temp:

210–240°C

Bed temp:

Ambient

Print surface:

Blue painter’s tape, heated glass

LAYWOO-D3

This filament looks and smells “like wood” (made from 40% recycled wood and a binding polymer) and comes a variety of shades. Vary the print temperature for a cool effect: it’s lighter at low temperatures, darker at higher ones. LayWoo-d3 may leave threads behind during non-extrusion moves of the print head.

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Nozzle temp:

175-250°C

Bed temp:

Ambient

Print surface:

Blue painter’s tape

LAYBRICK

This filament has a rough texture that looks similar to sandstone when printed. It can be brittle. Use a print temperature of 165-190 for a smooth finish and 210-230 for a rough finish.

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Nozzle temp:

165-230°C

Bed temp:

Ambient

Print surface:

Blue painter’s tape

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is the plastic used in LEGO bricks and comes in a rainbow of colors. A commonly used 3D printing plastic, it requires a heated bed for proper adhesion.

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Nozzle temp:

215–250°C

Bed temp:

90–115°C

Print surface:

Kapton tape

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)

HIPS can be used for printing final parts or as Limonene dissolvable support material. It prints better than and is much cheaper than PVA. HIPS prints have great surface finish to them that helps hide the print lines. For more on how to use HIPS as a support material, see Matt Stultz’s post.

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Nozzle temp:

220-235°C

Bed temp:

115°C

Print surface:

Kapton tape

Nylon

Easily dyed (see Chapter 12), but can be difficult to use due to shrink/warp/curling problems. Good for both strong and low-friction parts and is flexible when printed in thin layers.

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Nozzle temp:

235-260°C, but bonds best at 245° C

Bed temp:

Ambient

Print surface:

Scored nylon sheet, Garolite

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

A crystal-clear, colorless filament that is strong and impact-resistant. Printing at thicker layer heights results in better optical clarity.

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Nozzle temp:

210-220°C

Bed temp:

Ambient-65°C

Print surface:

Blue painter’s tape, Kapton Tape, glass

Polycarbonate (PC)

Printing with polycarbonate requires high-temperature nozzle design, like the Prusa nozzle. This filament is considered experimental.

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Nozzle temp:

280–305°C

Bed temp:

85°–95°C

Print surface:

Kapton tape

High-density Polyethylene (HDPE)

HDPE is difficult to use due to shrink/warp/curling problems and is rarely used.

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Nozzle temp:

225–230°C

Bed temp:

Ambient

Print surface:

Polypropylene sheet

Polycaprolactone PCL

Also known as MakerBot Flexible Filament, PCL is a biodegradable polyester. It has a very low melting point (58-60° C) and can be heated in hot water and reformed. It is also commonly known as InstaMorph or Polymorph.

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Nozzle temp:

100° C

Bed temp:

Ambient

Print surface:

Acrylic

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)

PVA is sometimes used as a support material and dissolves in water. It is expensive and can be difficult to work with.

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Nozzle temp:

180–200°C

Bed temp:

50°C

Print surface:

Blue painter’s tape

There are some new types of PVA that will be available soon that will require different extrusion temperatures. The temperatures listed are for PVA that is currently on the market at the time of this writing.

Matt Stultz is the is the leader of the 3D Printing Providence group, founder of HackPittsburgh, and a MakerBot alumnus, with experience in multimaterial printing and advanced materials.