Check out my first novel, midnight's simulacra!
Filaments
Keeping notes on various FDM printing filaments here.
The glass transition temperature is ideal for annealling.
I've got a Google Sheet now.
Qualitative comparisons
Manufacturers employ additives to change the properties of their filaments, which I don't attempt to address here. Properties may change across different batches of the same filament. These are very rough comparisons based off oral wisdom.
- Impact strength: ASA > ABS > PC > PETG > PLA
- Tensile strength: PA >> PC >> ASA > ABS ~= PETG > PLA
- UV resistance: ASA > ABS
- "Chemical" resistance: PETG > ABS
- Melting temp: PC > ASA > PETG > ABS >> PLA
- Heat resistance: PC > ASA > ABS > PETG > PLA
- Printing speed:
- Offensiveness (odor, VOCs while printing): ABS > ASA, PC
- Acetone postprocessing: ASA/ABS only
- Ease of sanding: PLA > PETG > ABS/ASA
- Ease of painting: PLA > PETG > ABS/ASA
- Tendency to warp: PC > ABS/ASA > PLA > PETG
- Hygroscopicity: PA ~= TPU > PETG/ABS/ASA > PLA
- Filament density: PETG/PLA > ABS/ASA
- Hotend temp required: PC > ABS/ASA > PETG > PLA
Bambu filaments parameter table
| Parameter | PLA Aero | ASA | ASA Aero | PC | ABS | ABS-GF | PETG-Trans | PETG-HF | PA6-CF | PPA-CF | PLA-CF | PPS-CF | PAHT-CF | ASA-CF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Print temp ℃ | 210 - 260 | 240 - 270 | 240 - 280 | 250 - 270 | 240 - 270 | 240 - 270 | 230 - 260 | 230 - 260 | 260 - 290 | 280 - 310 | 210 - 240 | 310 - 340 | 260 - 290 | 250 - 280 |
| Print speed mm/s | <180 | <250 | <150 | <300 | <300 | <180 | <220 | <300 | <100 | <100 | <200 | <100 | <100 | <250 |
| Flow rate ratio | 0.5-0.8 | 0.93-0.97 | 0.45-0.80 | |||||||||||
| Filament density g/cm³ | 1.21 | 1.05 | 0.99 | 1.2 | 1.05 | 1.08 | 1.25 | 1.28 | 1.09 | 1.25 | 1.22 | 1.26 | 1.06 | 1.02 |
| Foaming rate | 0-120 | n/a | 0-110 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Vol. expansion ratio | 100 - 220 | 102 | 100 - 210 | |||||||||||
| Print density g/cm³ | 0.55 - 1.05 | 1.03 | 0.46 - 0.97 | |||||||||||
| Tensile strength MPa | 24 ± 2 | 37 ± 3 | 32 ± 4 | 55 ± 4 | 33 ± 3 | 36 ± 3 | 33 ± 4 | 34 ± 4 | 102 ± 7 | 168 ± 4 | 38 ± 4 | 87 ± 5 | 92 ± 7 | 34 ± 3 |
| Breaking elongation rate | 2.6 ± 0.7 | 9.2 ± 1.4 | 5.1 ± 1.6 | 3.8 ± 0.3 | 10.5 ± 1.0 | 6.3 ± 1.2 | 8.2 ± 1.3 | 8.6 ± 1.2 | 5.8 ± 1.6 | 3.2 ± 0.4 | 8.4 ± 3.2 | 1.2 ± 0.4 | 8.4 ± 1.8 | 9.6 ± 1.4 |
| Bending modulus MPa | 1690 ± 120 | 1920 ± 130 | 1510 ± 120 | 2310 ± 70 | 1880 ± 110 | 2860 ± 130 | 1610 ± 130 | 2050 ± 120 | 5460 ± 280 | 9860 ± 480 | 3950 ± 190 | 7160 ± 280 | 4230 ± 210 | 3740 ± 130 |
| Bending strength MPa | 45 ± 4 | 65 ± 5 | 58 ± 6 | 108 ± 4 | 62 ± 4 | 68 ± 4 | 68 ± 3 | 64 ± 3 | 151 ± 8 | 208 ± 6 | 89 ± 4 | 142 ± 5 | 125 ± 7 | 72 ± 5 |
| Impact strength kJ/m² | 28.8 ± 1.3 | 41.0 ± 2.3 | 32.0 ± 2.5 | 34.8 ± 2.1 | 39 ± 3.6 | 14.5 ± 1.5 | 37.4 ± 3.3 | 31.5 ± 2.2 | 40.3 ± 2.5 | 41.7 ± 2.8 | 23.2 ± 3.7 | 27.8 ± 2.3 | 57.5 ± 3.4 | 14.0 ± 2.2 |
| Melt index g/10min | 7.7 ± 0.6 | 7.0 ± 0.8 | 1.56 ± 0.5 | 32.2 ± 2.9 | 34.2 ± 3.8 | 7.56 ± 1.4 | 11.7 ± 1.5 | 28.2 ± 2.7 | 6.8 ± 0.6 | 8.4 ± 0.7 | 3.7 ± 0.6 | 11.48 ± 1.23 | 14.4 ± 2.0 | 1.74 ± 0.3 |
| Melting temp ℃ | 153 | 210 | 204 | 228 | 200 | 202 | 228 | 214 | 223 | 258 | 165 | 284 | 225 | 210 |
| Heat deflection temp ℃ | 53 | 100 | 85 | 117 | 87 | 99 | 74 | 69 | 186 | 227 | 55 | 264 | 194 | 110 |
| Vicat softening temp ℃ | 54 | 106 | 80 | 119 | 94 | 103 | 79 | 70 | 212 | 232 | 69 | 268 | 220 | 108 |