3D printing filament

3D printing filament is the thermoplastic feedstock for fused deposition modeling 3D printers. There are many types of filament available with different properties, requiring different temperatures to print. Filament is available in two standard diameters; 1.75 and 2.85 mm/3 mm.

Production

Commercially produced filament
3D printing filament is created using a process of heating, extruding and cooling plastic to transform nurdles into the finished product. Unlike a 3D printer the filament is pulled rather than pushed through the nozzle to create the filament, the diameter of the filament is defined by the process that takes place after the plastic has been heated rather than the diameter of the extruder nozzle. A different force and speed is applied to the filament as it is pulled out of the extruder to define the width of the filament, most commonly 1.75 mm or 3 mm diameter.

The plastic nurdles are always white or clear. Pigments or other additives are added to the material before it is melted to created coloured filament or filament with special properties, e.g. increased strength or magnetic properties. Before the filament is extruded the nurdles are heated to 80°C to reduce water content. From there the nurdles are fed into a single screw extruder where it is heated and extruded into a filament. The diameter is often measured by a laser as part of a quality control mechanism to ensure correct diameter of the filament. The filament is then fed through a warm water tank which cools the filament which gives the filament its round shape. The filament is then fed through a cold water tank to cool it to room temperature. It is then wound onto a spool to create the finished product.

DIY filament production
DIY filament production machines use the same method as FDM 3D printers of pushing the filament through the extruder to create the correct diameter filament. There are several DIY filament machines available as both open source plans and commercially available machines, these include Recyclebot, Filastruder and Multistruder.

Use
The process of transforming 3D printing filament into a 3D model

The filament is fed into the FDM 3D printer.
The thermoplastic is heated past their glass transition temperature inside the hotend.
The filament is extruded and deposited by an extrusion head onto a build platform where it cools.
The process is continuous, building up layers to create the model.

Materials

Filament	Special Properties	Uses	Strength	Density	Flexibility	Durability	Difficulty to print	Print Temperature (˚C)	Bed Temperature (˚C)	Printing notes
PLA	Easy to print	Consumer Products	Medium	1240 kg/m³	Low	Medium	Low	180 - 230	No heated bed needed
	Biodegradable
ABS	Durable	Functional Parts	Medium	1010 kg/m³	Medium	High	Medium	210 - 250	50 - 100
	Impact resistant
PETG (XT, N‑Vent)	More flexible than PLA or ABS	All	Medium	1270 kg/m³	High	High	Medium	220 - 235	No heated bed needed
	Durable
Nylon	Strong	All	High		High	High	Medium	220 - 260	50 - 100	Hygroscopic, keep sealed when not in use
	Flexible
	Durable
TPE	Extremely flexible	Elastic Parts	Low		High	Medium	High	225 - 235	40	Print very slowly
	Rubber-Like	Wearables
TPU	Extremely flexible	Elastic Parts	Low		High	Medium	High	225 - 235	No heated bed needed	Print slowly
	Rubber-Like	Wearables
Wood	Wood-like finish	Home Decor	Medium		Medium	Medium	Medium	195 - 220	No heated bed needed
HIPS	Dissolvable	Support structures when using ABS on a dual extrusion printer.	Low	1040 kg/m	Medium	High	Medium	210 - 250	50 - 100
	Biodegradable
PVA	Dissolvable	Support structures when using PLA or ABS on a dual extrusion printer.	High		Low	Medium	Low	180 - 230	No heated bed needed	Hygroscopic, keep sealed when not in use
	Water Soluble
	Biodegradable
	Oil Resistant
PET (CEP)	Strong	All	High		High	High	Medium	220 - 250	No heated bed needed
	Flexible
	Durable
	Recyclable
PLA Metal	Metal Finish	Jewelry	Medium		Low	High	High	195 - 220	No heated bed needed	Use hardened nozzle
PLA Carbon Fiber	Rigid	Functional Parts	Medium		Low	High	Medium	195 - 220	No heated bed needed	Use hardened nozzle
	Stronger Than Pure PLA
Lignin (bioFila)	Biodegradable		Medium		Low	Medium	Low	190 - 225	55
	Stronger than PLA
Polycarbonate	Very strong	Functional Parts	High	1.18 – 1.20 g/cm³	High	High	Medium	270 - 310	90 - 105
	Flexible
	Durable
	Transparent
	Heat Resistant
Conductive	Conductive	Electronics	Medium		Medium	Low	Low	215 - 230	No heated bed needed	Use hardened nozzle
Wax(MOLDLAY)	Melts Away	Lost wax Casting	Low		Low	Low	Low	170 - 180	No heated bed needed
PETT (T‑Glase)	Strong	Functional Parts	High		High	High	Medium	235 - 240	No heated bed needed
	Flexible
	Transparent
	Clear
ASA	Rigid	Outdoor	Medium		Low	High	Medium	240 - 260	100 - 120
	Durable
	Weather Resistant
PP	Flexible	Flexible Components	Medium		High	Medium	High	210 - 230	120 - 150
	Chemical Resistance
POM, Acetal	Strong	Functional Parts	High		Low	Medium	High	210 - 225	130
	Rigid
	Low Friction
	Resilient
PMMA, Acrylic	Rigid	Light diffusers	Medium		Low	High	Medium	235 - 250	100 -120
	Durable
	Transparent
	Clear
	Impact Resistant
Sandstone (LAYBRICK)	Sandstone Finish	Architecture	Low		Low	Low	Medium	165 - 210	No heated bed needed
Glow-In-The-Dark	Luminous	Fun	Medium		Medium	Medium	Low	215	No heated bed needed	Use hardened nozzle
	Fluorescent
Cleaning	Cleaning	Unclogging of Nozzles	N/A		N/A	N/A	Low	150 - 260	No heated bed needed
PC/ABS	Rigid	Functional Parts	Medium		Low	High	High	260 - 280	120
	Durable
	Impact Resistant
	Resilient
	Deflecting Heat
Magnetic	Magnetic	Fun	Medium		Medium	Medium	High	195 - 220	No heated bed needed
Color Changing	Changes Color	Fun	Medium		Medium	Medium	Low	215	No heated bed needed
nGen	Similar to PETG	All	Medium		High	High	Medium	210 - 240	60
	Heat Resistant
	Transparent
TPC	Extremely Flexible	Elastic Parts	Low		High	Medium	High	210	60 - 100
	Rubber-Like	Outdoor
	Chemical resistant
	Heat resistant
	UV light resistant
PORO-LAY	Partially Water Soluble	Experimental	Low		High	Medium	Low	220 - 235	No heated bed needed
FPE	Flexible	Flexible Parts	Low		High	High	Medium	205 - 250	75

Source from Wikipedia