There are seemingly countless types and variations of FDM 3D Printing Materials available today compared to just a few years ago when ABS was basically the only option. A single guide to all of them would be extremely exhaustive – not only to read, but to compile and write.
So, instead, we will concentrate on the 4 most common materials used today: PLA, ABS, PETG and TPU.
What this guide hopes to accomplish is give you, the 3D Printer Enthusiast, a better understanding of these materials: their composition and properties, as well as common print settings and applications.
This guide will provide an overview of the material, its uses both inside and outside of 3D printing, the material’s physical properties, suggested print settings, and finally the pros and cons of each material.
The end result of which is so that you can achieve the besting 3D Printing experience possible by taking the guess work out of which materials to use, how to print them, and when to use them.
Disclaimers
This is by no means a comprehensive guide, even for these 4 material types. As there are no industry standards for any given material for composition or additives, variations in their properties (even from the same manufacturer) are common. Because of this, material properties and print settings are generalized – your experiences will vary.
And a final note, before we begin, on ‘Food Safe’ materials. It is the personal opinion of this author (using an abundance of caution), that NO FDM 3D Printing Material should be considered ‘Food Safe’.
While the base chemical elements of some FDM materials may be ‘FDA Approved’, there are no government safety regulations on these materials and their additives, or the 3D Printing equipment which it passes through, to ensure food safe ingredients, or equipment is used.
In addition, due to the properties of FDM 3D Printing, gaps, crevasses and holes are abundant in 3D Prints. This leads to food particles and residues being trapped in those object which are very difficult, if not impossible to properly clean. Over time, bacterial, viral and mold growth can occur. All of which can lead to a quick trip to the bathroom (at the least), or to the hospital (at the worst).
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s begin.
JGMAKER Filament Entrance: https://www.jgmaker3d.com/collections/filament
PLA – Polylactic Acid
Overview
PLA is currently the most popular 3D Printing filament available today. This is largely due to its low cost to manufacture using mostly organic resources such corn and sugarcane. It has the widest range of colors and additives over any of the other FDM filament type. It is also one of the easiest filaments to work with, producing excellent results over a wide range of comparably low temperatures often without the need for a heated bed or enclosure.
JGMaker PLA Available:
https://www.jgmaker3d.com/collections/filament/products/3d-printer-pla-filament
Uses Outside of 3D Printing
PLA has found only limited uses outside of 3D Printing. It can be degraded into Lactic Acid and used in medical implants that dissolve away over time. It can also be used as disposable packing material.
Uses Within 3D Printing
PLA is excellent for model making and low stress mechanical parts. It’s low Glass Point and poor weather resistance as well as brittleness prevent it from being used much in hot, humid or high stress environments. However, it has found a high degree of use with sculptures in ‘Lost PLA Casting’ where a mold of the 3D print is cast and then the PLA is melted away – much like ‘Lost Wax Casting.'
Properties
Printability: Easy
Strength: Medium
Density: 1.24 g/cm3
Flexibility: Low
Brittleness: High
Durability: Medium
Abrasiveness: Low – depending on additives
Deformations: Minimal – can pull up from bed and curl on overhangs
Shrinkage: 0.2-0.25%
Stringing: Low – depending on additives and cooling
Glass Point: 55-60c
Weather Resistance: Poor. Susceptible to UV, heat, and moisture.
Fumes: Minimal – depending on additives.
Solvents: ethylacetate, propylene carbonate
Biodegradable: Yes, under optimum conditions
Hygroscopic: Moderate
Food Safe: Generally No
Print Settings
Nozzle Temperature: 180-230c
Bed Temperature: Off-50c
Cooling Fan: 50-100%
Enclosure: None
Build Surface: Blue Tape, PEI, Glass, Glue Stick, etc.
Print Speed: 30-90 mm/s recommended
Direct Drive Extruder: Yes
Bowden Extruder: Yes
Variations
PLA can be found infused with a great many additives beyond simple colors. Some examples are: Glow, Wood, Metal, Carbon, etc. Other additives can increase the strength, flexibility and durability of PLA. All of these variations can effect print and bed temperature, speed, fumes, hygroscopic and biodegradable properties, etc.
Storage
It has a long shelf life when stored properly and while only moderately hygroscopic, it is recommended that it be stored in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.
Pros
PLA is one of the easiest and cheapest 3D Printing Filaments on the market today. It’s wide range of colors and additives as well as its easy of printing make it extremely versatile and enjoyable to work with.
Cons
Due to its brittleness, low Glass Point and poor weather resistance, PLA is not considered a good choice for outdoor, humid or high stress applications.
ABS – Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Overview
ABS was one of the first materials used in Industrial and Personal 3D printing making it the most popular plastic of that time. However, with the introduction of additional materials, it has fallen off in popularity. ABS is made from Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene (aka: ABS), all of which are hydrocarbons produce by fossil fuels. With its high degree of warping, requirement of a heated bed and chamber, pungent order and significant shrinkage, it is a moderately difficult 3D printing materials to work with.
Uses Outside of 3D Printing
ABS is widely used in industry as a very common injection-molded plastic. Its high Glass Point, weather resistance, durability and moderate flexibility give it a very wide range of applications from car parts, kitchen appliances, and LEGOs, as well as medical devices.
Uses Within 3D Printing
ABS is excellent for models, replacement parts, and outdoor applications with this above average UV and weather resistance as well as above average strength and durability, and moderate flexibility. It takes well to sanding, gluing and painting thus extending is applications and usefulness.
Properties
Printability: Medium
Strength: Medium
Density: 1.01 g/cm3
Flexibility: Medium
Brittleness: Low
Durability: High
Abrasiveness: Low – depending on additives
Deformations: Moderate – easy to pull up from bed, curl and separate at layers during printing
Shrinkage: 0.8% - 8%
Stringing: Low – depending on additives and cooling
Glass Point: ~105c
Weather Resistance: Moderate – resistant to UV, heat and moisture
Fumes: Moderate – pungent, possibly harmful fumes
Solvents: esters, ketones (acetone), chloroform and ethylene dichloride
Biodegradable: No
Hygroscopic: Moderate
Food Safe: No
Print Settings
Nozzle Temperature: 210-250c
Bed Temperature: 50-100c
Cooling Fan: 0%
Enclosure: Recommended – to regulate temperature and prevent warping
Build Surface: Kapton Tape, ABS Slurry
Print Speed: 40-60 mm/s recommended
Direct Drive Extruder: Yes
Bowden Extruder: Yes
Variations
ABS can be found infused with a great many additives beyond simple colors. Some examples are: Color Changing, Fluorescent, Phosphorescent, Polycarbonate, etc. Other additives can increase the strength, flexibility and durability of ABS. All of these variations can effect print and bed temperature, speed, fumes, hygroscopic and biodegradable properties, etc.
Storage
It has a long shelf life when stored properly and while it is moderately hygroscopic, it is recommended that it be stored in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.
Pros
ABS is one of the most durable materials available for 3D printing giving it a wide range of applications form models, functional parts both indoors and out.
Cons
With moderate warping, shrinkage, and the need for a heated bed and recommended chamber, ABS is a more difficult material to print with. Combined with its pungent, possibly hazardous odor, it may not be the best choice depending on your needs.
PETG – Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol
Overview
PETG is Glycol added PET. It is often considered a better alternative to ABS as it is easier to print and produces less fumes. It, as with ABS, is more durable and flexible than PLA yet does not require a chamber for temperature control and does not warp as much as ABS. It does however, still require a heated bed for good adhesion, just usually not as hot as ABS.
Uses Outside of 3D Printing
PET (without the Glycol) is the commonly used plastics in the workplace and is widely used to make water bottles, fibers in clothing and food containers, while PETG (with Glycol) is not very common outside of 3D printing as it was added specifically to make it clearer, less brittle and easier to print with.
Uses Within 3D Printing
PETG is excellent for models, replacement parts and some outdoor applications although its not considered UV resistant. However, it is more weather resistant that PLA and has above average strength and durability with moderate flexibility.
Properties
Printability: Easy
Strength: Medium
Density: 1.23 g/cm3
Flexibility: Medium
Brittleness: Low
Durability: High
Abrasiveness: Low – depending on additives
Deformations: Low – minimal warping and curling during printing
Shrinkage: ~0.8%
Stringing: Moderate
Glass Point: ~80c
Weather Resistance: Moderate – resistant to heat and moisture
Fumes: Minimal – depending on additives
Solvents: Dichloromethane, toluene, cyclohexanone, and methyl ethyl ketone
Biodegradable: No
Hygroscopic: High
Food Safe: Generally No
Print Settings
Nozzle Temperature: 220-250c
Bed Temperature: 50-75c
Cooling Fan: 0% - 30%
Enclosure: No
Build Surface: Glue stick on Glass, Painter’s Tape
Print Speed: 40-60 mm/s recommended
Direct Drive Extruder: Yes
Bowden Extruder: Yes
Variations
PETT (Polyethylene coTrimethylene Terephthalate) is a common variant of PETG. It is slightly more rigd than PETG and nearly transparent.
Storage
It has a long shelf life when stored properly but is highly hygroscopic. It is recommended that it be stored in a cool, dry location in an air-tight contained with desiccant, and away from direct sunlight.
Pros
PETG is know for its glossy smooth surface and good adherence to the bed. It is mostly odorless when printer, depending on additives. It’s low shrinkage rate make it one of the better materials for functions prints with strict tolerances.
Cons
Poor bridging is a common issue with PETG, so more support is needed over other FDM filament types. Stringing is another common issue. These can be managed with proper adjustments to retraction, cooling fan, nozzle wiping before traveling.
TPU – Thermoplastic Polyurethane
Overview
TPU is the most common types of flexible FDM printing materials. While it can withstand the physical abuse that PLA, ABS and PETG would fail under, it is also soft and flexible providing properties those other materials do not. Depending on the additives, TPU can be either extremely flexible (and harder to print) or more rigid (and easier to print) while still retaining its durability.
Uses Outside of 3D Printing
TPU, and TPEs (Thermoplastic Elastomers) are used widely in industry for automotive parts, appliances and medical supplies. Their high durability, flexibility and weather resistance give them a very wide range of uses.
Uses Within 3D Printing
TPU is excellent for printed parts that take a lot of abuse: wear, flexing/bending/stretching, weather resistance, etc. This can include drone parts, phone cases, toy parts (like wheels), and wearables like wristband and even shoes.
Properties
Printability: Difficult
Strength: High
Density: ~1.2 g/cm3
Flexibility: High
Brittleness: Low
Durability: High
Abrasiveness: Low
Deformations: Low – minimal warping and curling during printing
Shrinkage: ~0.6-1.0%
Stringing: Moderate
Glass Point: ~-53 – -27c (because its flexible!)
Weather Resistance: High – very resistant to heat and moisture
Fumes: Low – depending on additives
Solvents: dimethylformamide, dimethylsulphoxide, N-methylpyrrolidine and tetrahydrofuran
Biodegradable: No
Hygroscopic: Low
Food Safe: No
Print Settings
Nozzle Temperature: 210-230c
Bed Temperature: Off - 60c (often not required – depending on bed surface)
Cooling Fan: 0% - 50%
Enclosure: No
Build Surface: PEI, Painters Tape
Print Speed: 20-40 mm/s recommended
Direct Drive Extruder: Yes
Bowden Extruder: Not Recommended
Variations
TPC (Thermoplastic copolyester) is a higher resistance to chemical and UV as well has heat resistance up to 150c.
Storage
It has a long shelf life when stored properly and its not significantly hygroscopic. It is recommended that it be stored in a cool, dry location in an air-tight contained and away from direct sunlight.
Pros
TPU has excellent impact resistance, is very durable, soft and flexible. With these properties, its shines in applications that require a lot of abuse and flexibility that other FDM materials would fail in.
Cons
TPU is one of the hardest materials to print with due to its flexibility. Without a very well constrained filament path from the extruder gear to the nozzle, it will very often escape from that path and jam. It’s for this reason Bowden type extruders are not recommended, and dual-geared direct-drive extruders are. Print speeds should also be lowered as it is very difficult to print at the normal speeds used with more rigid filaments.
Conclusion
As we stated in the beginning, this was just a general guide to the 4 most common FDM 3D Printing Materials in use today. Each one covered has countless variations based on color, additives, print and material properties, and uses that would be overwhelming to try to cover, let alone read.
The properties and print setting should be used as a ‘starting guide’ for your printer and your filament. Every printer is different and every filament roll can be different – even from the same manufacturer. So it is highly recommended that you conduct some small test prints with each roll for temperature, cooling, speed and retraction to ensure that you get the best possible print every time.
And finally, here is an easy to view chart of all the properties and print settings for the filament types covered in this post.
Enjoy.
|
Property |
PLA |
ABS |
PETG |
TPU |
|
Printability |
Easy |
Medium |
Easy |
Difficult |
|
Strength |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
High |
|
Density |
1.24 g/cm3 |
1.01 g/cm3 |
1.24 g/cm3 |
1.2 g/cm3 |
|
Flexibility |
Low |
Medium |
Medium |
High |
|
Brittleness |
High |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Durability |
Medium |
High |
High |
High |
|
Abrasiveness |
Low |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Deformations |
Minimal |
Moderate |
Low |
Low |
|
Shrinkage |
0.2 - 0.25% |
08. - 8% |
0.8% |
0.6 – 1.0% |
|
Stringing |
Low |
Low |
Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Glass Point |
55-60c |
105c |
80c |
< 27c (its flexible!) |
|
Weather Resistance |
Poor |
Moderate |
Moderate |
High |
|
Fumes |
Minimal |
Moderate |
Minimal |
Low |
|
Solvents |
ethylacetate, propylene carbonate |
esters, ketones (acetone), chloroform and ethylene dichloride |
Dichloromethane, toluene, cyclohexanone, and methyl ethyl ketone |
dimethylformamide, dimethylsulphoxide, N-methylpyrrolidine and tetrahydrofuran |
|
Biodegradable |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Hygroscopic |
Moderate |
Moderate |
High |
Low |
|
Food Save |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Print Settings |
PLA |
ABS |
PETG |
TPU |
|
Nozzle Temperature |
180 - 230c |
210 - 250c |
220 - 250c |
210 - 230c |
|
Bed Temperature |
0 - 50c |
50 - 100c |
50 - 75c |
Off - 60c |
|
Cooling Fan |
50 - 100% |
0% |
0 – 30% |
0 – 50% |
|
Enclosure |
None |
Recommended |
None |
None |
|
Build Surface |
Blue Tape, PEI, Glass, Glue Stick, etc. |
Kapton Tape, ABS Slurry |
Glue stick on Glass, Painter’s Tape |
PEI, Painters Tape |
|
Print Speed |
30 - 90 mm/s |
40 - 60 mm/s |
40 - 60 mm/s |
20 - 40 mm/s |
|
Direct Drive Extruder |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Bowden Extruder |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Not Recommended |
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