Dutch 3D printing filament company
ColorFabb has added a carbon fibre offering to its XT line of printing
feedstock.
The company integrates “as
much as 20% carbon fiber” into Eastman Chemicals’ Amphora 3D polymer, reports 3Dprintingindustry.com
Amphora is a low-odour, non-styrene material with a glossy finish.
ColorFabb formalised its
partnership with multi-billion chemicals company Eastman in July last year.
The XT-CF20 filament is
advertised as twice as stiff as regular PLA plastic, with a very high melt
strength and a matte black appearance.
It is priced at 49.95 Euro
for a 750 gram spool.
ColorFabb says it has
tested the material on eight printers over six weeks without a single nozzle
jam. However, it recommends a stainless steel or hardened copper alloy print nozzle, as the abrasive carbon fibres will wear out a brass nozzle more quickly
than regular filament.
The availability of XT-CF20 comes at a time where demand for novel printing materials is growing.
Last year a car was 3D printed out of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer and then driven (at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in September) and there is currenly an increasing availability of new printing feedstocks available to both consumers and industrial users.
XT-CF20 details (from http://colorfabb.com)
- Extreme High Flex Modulus
(6.2 GPa) / twice as stiff as PLA - Moderate strain at break
(8-10%), so no extreme brittle filament, butt toughness - High Glass Temp. (Tg = 80C)
- Very high Melt strength
- Very high Melt Viscosity
- Good dimensional accuracy
and stability - Low odor / Styrene Free
solution - Easy processing on many
platforms - High attractive matt black
surface