Plastic for Hips 3d printer: specifications

Printing on 3D printers is performed using special supplies - 3D plastics. Under the influence of high temperatures, they soften, acquiring the plasticity necessary for molding products of various shapes and sizes. The choice of brand of plastic depends on specific tasks and goals.

Characteristics of plastic for a 3D printer

There are many varieties of plastic for a 3D printer. To understand which plastic is the best, you need to consider the most famous products in this category.

Hips

Hips high-impact styrene is a thermoplastic polymer obtained by polymerizing polystyrene with synthetic rubber - polybutadiene. As a result, the Hips material acquires the elasticity of butadiene rubber.

Hips has many positive properties that distinguish it from other materials for 3D printing:

• resistance to the action of acid-base environment;
• minimum heat shrink coefficient;
• absolute environmental friendliness due to the absence of carcinogens;
• wide operating temperature range (-40 ° С to + 70 ° С);
• low hygroscopicity;
• resistance to decomposition;
• a high degree of impact strength and ductility, due to which the mechanical processing of finished products is possible;
• low electrical conductivity.

Reference! Unpainted Hips has a bright snow-white color, which distinguishes it from other plastics.

Due to its properties, Hips has found application in the production of plastic dishes, souvenirs, toys, medical instruments, building materials. Unlike many insoluble materials, it dissolves in limonene (liquid hydrocarbon). This property is used to strengthen the structure when working with other materials.

When working with Hips, heating the table to 90 ° C is required. The extrusion temperature is 220-240 ° C. To form a smooth surface, the nozzle must be cooled. Preference should be given to devices with a closed housing. Hips is presented in rich colors, which increases its relevance.

Sbs

Sbs or styrene-butadiene copolymer is a thermoplastic material characterized by increased flexibility. Due to this quality, plastic products do not break under the action of significant loads. 3D printing occurs evenly, without tearing the thread.

Main advantages:

• high strength;
• resistance to high temperatures;
• moisture resistance;
• high degree of transparency - 93% light transmission;
• perfectly lends itself to coloring, which allows you to create a bright palette of colors and shades;
• low degree of shrinkage, allowing you to create products of large sizes;
• environmental friendliness, lack of smell during 3D printing;
• absolutely harmless to human health, allowed for the production of products intended for food storage;
• soluble in limonene and solvent, which creates products that visually mimic glass;
• the ability to weld individual fragments to create complex products with guaranteed joint strength.

Due to its properties, Sbs is used for the manufacture of children's toys, souvenirs, decorative items, medical devices, food containers, large items (shades, containers and other large-capacity containers). High light transmittance makes the material an alternative to expensive glass.

Reference! Due to the practically zero level of water absorption, Sbs products can be used in conditions of high humidity without deformation and deterioration of the initial properties.

The extrusion temperature is 225–255 ° C; the thread does not break when printing even when fed at a 90 ° angle. For 3D printing with maximum opacity, it is recommended to use nozzles with a large diameter for printing in one layer.

Flex

Flex plastic or thermoplastic elastomer is an elastic polymer with the properties of rubber and plastic. The resulting products stretch as easily as rubber.

Benefits:

• increased flexibility and ductility;
• impact resistance;
• resistance to solvents, oils, gasoline;
• high wear resistance;
• the possibility of soldering at a high heating temperature (using a soldering hair dryer);
• barely perceptible odor during operation.

Flex is used for the manufacture of products of complex shapes: children's toys, souvenirs, decorative items, medical prostheses, masks, slippers, pneumatic tubes and much more.

The extrusion temperature is 230-260 ° C, the platform is heated to 80-120 ° C. A feature of printing is the need for filing at a minimum speed of 5-30 mm / sec.

Important! There should be no free space on the way the filament feeds from the thermal barrier to the extruder wheel, so that the filament does not bend or interfere with the printer. If available, use a Teflon tube, which must be inserted into the free space.

Abs

Abs is a thermoplastic resin acrylic-nitrile-butadiene-styrene. Variety of Abs depends on the ratio of these 3 components. It can take many different polymer forms with different properties. The main advantage is high mechanical strength, which is not available to other types of plastics.

Advantages of Abs:

• resistance to temperatures up to 100 ° C;
• the ability to adjust the gloss level of the final product;
• resistance to acids, alkalis;
• solubility in acetone, ether, benzene and several other types of solvents;
• almost zero water absorption;
• high dimensional stability;
• the possibility of re-processing;
• the relative cheapness of the products.

Abs is used for the manufacture of souvenirs, household items, plastic dishes and containers for storing products, automotive parts, and fasteners. Abs can be used as a galvanic coating for vacuum metallization, for soldering, welding and precision casting.

Reference! To obtain 1 kg of Abs plastic, about 2 kg of oil is equivalent in the form of raw materials and energy.

The main disadvantages of this type are:

• high sensitivity to the effects of sunlight and precipitation, as a result of which the plastic discolors;
• high degree of shrinkage during cooling (up to 0.8%).

The first problem is solved by applying a protective coating to the finished product. Because of the second, making models larger than 150x150x150 mm becomes impossible.

To work with Abs plastic, the FDM printer with the technology of layer-by-layer creation of a three-dimensional object is considered the best option. The extrusion temperature is 180-260 ° C depending on the type of material. It is recommended to print with a heated platform up to 50-90 ° C in 3D printers with a hermetically sealed case and heated working chambers.

Pla

Polylactide Pla is a polyester based on lactic acid monomer contained in natural raw materials (corn, sugarcane, cellulose and starch). The main advantage of this species is environmental friendliness, based on the complete biodegradation of the polymer. Today, Pla is considered the most promising 3D plastic that can replace biodegradable packaging materials.

Advantages of Pla plastic:

• complete biodegradation;
• continuous renewal of products used in the process of obtaining Pla;
• the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere during the production process is halved in comparison with plastics based on petroleum products;
• biocompatibility with any components;
• the ability to work in poorly ventilated areas.

Reference! Products from Pla completely decompose depending on environmental conditions within 1-36 months.

Pla is considered the ideal material for single-use products. It is used for the manufacture of self-absorbable surgical sutures.

The advantage of this type is the low extrusion temperature of 150-160 ° C, which reduces energy costs and also allows the use of cheaper nozzles made of brass or aluminum.

The complexity when working with polylactide is considered to be increased fragility and delayed setting at a temperature of 50 °. To work with it, we recommend a 3D printer with an open case, plus additional air cooling. The desktop does not require mandatory heating when printing small items. For large models, the desktop requires heating from below to avoid possible deformations.