Related: chemistry, material science
| Material | PLA | PETG | TPU | ABS | ASA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Polylactic acid | Polyethylene terephthalate glycol | Thermoplastic polyurethane | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene | Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate |
| Nozzle Temp (C) | 200-230 | 220-260 | 230-265 | ||
| Bed Temp (C) | 50 | 70-80 | 100 | ||
| Printability | High | High | |||
| Heat Resistance | Low | Medium | High | ||
| UV resistance | Low | Medium | Very high | ||
| Fatigue resistance | Low | Medium | High | High | |
| Mechanical strength | Low | Better than PLA | Medium-High | ||
| Post-processing1 | Very low | Low | High | High | |
| Example usage | - Decorative - Indoor functional parts—without significant heat, excessive or prolonged force | General use, products that need some give (mechanically flexible) | Outdoor usage | ||
| Notes | - Supports tend to fuse easily with the model - Very sticky and stringey - Very hydroscopic, so thorough drying is important - Melts relatively slowly, may limit printing speed on newer fast printers | - Comes in different hardness ratings. Higher number means stiffer and easier to print—easier to thread filament through spool | - Can undergo vapour smoothing - Relatively fast to melt - Produces toxic fumes ☠ | - Can undergo vapour smoothing - Produces significantly fewer fumes - Pricey - More issues with bed adhesion |
Tip
Moisture is the enemy
Notes
Higher temperature requirements necessitates more specialized printers that can provide higher nozzle and bed temperatures as well as a chamber for better head retention. It also translates to harder to print materials as larger temperature differentials of the printer filament may lead to shrinkage.
Naturally, higher temperature also means higher electricity costs as well as wear and tear of the machine.
References
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYPW5Rlwn8g
- Missed out on another one
Footnotes
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Sanding, painting etc. ↩