PLA filament is no stranger to 3D printer land. The most used and easiest to print, but what exactly is it? Filamentz tells more.
PLA, also called Polylactic Acid, is a plastic based on cornstarch. It is a thermoplastic, which means it will soften at higher temperatures and harden again as it cools. PLA is a fully biodegradable thermoplastic that basically consists of natural materials.
PLA filament has become increasingly popular in 3D printing in recent years. Due to the endless variants and the way in which it can be processed, it is being used by more and more 3D printing enthusiasts. Together with ABS filament, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, these were the common materials on the market for years. In recent years, various variations of PLA filament have been found, including those with wood chips, aluminum or very different colors. Since PLA filament is in many cases easier to process than ABS filament, the roles have been reversed a bit in recent years and PLA filament seems to have become the first choice and seems to remain that way. Given the toxic substances released when processing ABS, PETG is a better alternative, more about that later.
Processing PLA filament
Within thermoplastics, PLA filament is the most used at the moment. This is partly due to the fact that it is easy to use and relatively cheap. In contrast to PETG and ABS filament, PLA is indeed less durable, more fragile and somewhat more sensitive to heat than other thermoplastics. So keep the mechanical properties of PLA in mind when designing the 3D printed object. Below is a comparison of the minimum processing temperature and the transition temperature of the most commonly used thermoplastics. The transition temperature means the moment when the object can soften and deform, after which it will take on this new shape as it cools. In addition to the processing and transition temperature, flexibility, impact resistance and layer bonding of the various 3D printer filaments can also be examined. Overall, PLA scores average in many of these cases. The layer bond (depending on layer height, temperature, cooling and speed) is excellent, but in terms of impact strength it lags behind nylon, PETG and ABS, which is logical. Nylon filament is a filament that can only be used by the advanced user.
| Processing and transition temperature most commonly used thermoplastics | |||
| PLA | PETG | ABS | |
| Transition temperature (°C) | 50 – 60 | 70 - 75 | 95 - 105 |
| Minimum processing temperature (°C) | 180 | 230 | 250 |
Advantages of PLA filament
The biggest advantage of PLA filament is that it can be used by everyone. PLA is a non-hygroscopic material, which means that it does not absorb moisture from the air. This ensures that PLA filament is easy to store, can be used over a wide range of temperatures and is perfect for rapid prototypes and 3D printed models that contain detail. Furthermore, PLA filament is strong enough for most applications and can easily be treated by (wet) sanding and painting. In addition to the interesting mechanical properties, PLA filament also comes in a wide variety of colors and quantities. You can get almost all RAL colors on rolls of 1 kilo, but also certainly 3 kg, 5 kg or sometimes 10 kg per roll. Keep an eye on. Printers use either 1.75 mm filament or 2.85 mm filament. This difference has been indicated by the supplier of the 3D printer. 1.75 mm filament is the current standard and is more readily available.
Properties of PLA filament
- Matte appearance
- Slightly flexible
- Good impact resistance
- Easy to 3D print
- Easily available
- Can be purchased in many colors
- Available in different sizes of rolls
Conclusion PLA filament
If you are new to the 3D printer world or are working on larger prototypes, PLA filament is the material of choice. It is easy to process, cheap and readily available from Filamentz . The color combinations are endless and it is strong enough for most applications. PLA filament is also accessible to everyone in terms of after-treatment. By sanding and painting, the most complex 3D models can look like injection molds.