3D Printing Filament Types :
How to choose the right filament for you?
Most 3D printing enthusiasts, especially those new to additive manufacturing, often get confused when choosing a filament for their 3D printers. There are quite a few factors that determine which filament type is best for you.
However, it is not that hard since there are three kinds of 3D filaments:
1) ABS
2) PLA
3) HIPS
ABS
It stands for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. It is a petroleum-based plastic. This means you need to have a heated bed to print with ABS.
Its chemical formula is (C8H8)x – x(C4H6N)(C3H3N)x – x.
The value of x can vary from 10%-30% depending on the types of ABS available out there. The fumes produced by ABS are toxic, so it is not advisable to use them indoors.
Printing with ABS is often discouraged due to its high warping rate; however, you can minimize this with a heated bed and the correct settings.
PLA
It stands for polylactic acid and is made from renewable resources like corn starch or sugarcane.
It has a much lower printing temperature than ABS and doesn’t require a heated bed, making it a suitable starter filament.
The downsides of PLA are that it is brittle and doesn’t have a very high resistance to heat.
HIPS
It stands for high impact polystyrene, shares some characteristics with ABS but is less toxic to print with and dissolves in limonene, making it a popular choice for support material.
In the end, the type of filament you choose to use depends on what you want to print and where.
So if you’ll be printing indoors; or have a heated bed, go for ABS or PLA; however, if your printer doesn’t have a heated bed, then HIPS is a better choice.
There are new types of filaments being invented as we speak, so who knows what’s waiting out there in the future.
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