COMPOUNDS | 3D PRINTING
This cup was 3D printed with Asahi Kasei’s SEBS material reinforced with cellulose nanofibers
printing,” the company reported. The CNF, used at approximately 5% in the compound, is derived from cotton linter, which is a byproduct of cottonseed oil production. Its high heat resistance and network-forming ability prevent the CNF from deteriorating during 3DP modeling, thereby reducing shrinkage and warpage of the modeled product, the company said. The material can be used in a wide range of applications, including prosthetic devices.
IMAGE: ASAHI KASEI
They also want the highest standards in terms of ethical and sustainable sourcing.” The Authentic Material Qlin range materials are composed of 50% recycled materials and 50% polymer. Leather is sourced from production scraps, quality rejects and dormant inventory. This is ground using a proprietary process into dense, homogeneous powder which is mixed with polymer to produce a compound which is up to 50% by volume leather. Grinding and mixing is done at the company’s factory near Tolouse, France. PA 11 is not the only member of the nylon family
that is being used in 3D printable materials with a high level of bio-based content. Asahi Kasei and Italy’s Aquafil have agreed to develop a novel material for 3D printing based on Econyl, a chemically recycled PA 6 and Asahi Kasei’s cellu- lose nanofibre. The product is being partly funded by Itochu Corporation, Asahi Kasei’s parent, which has invested in Aquafil. Asahi Kasei said that the Aquafil materials have “superior formability and strength” which makes them suitable for use in automotive and aeronauti- cal applications. The recycled PA components come from post- and pre-consumer waste such as old fishing nets, old carpets and industrial waste. Waste is depolymerised to monomers and repoly- merised into Econyl polymer chips. Asahi Kasei has also developed a new soft compound material for 3D printers made of cellulose nanofibres (CNF) and SEBS (styrene-ethyl- ene-butylene-styrene). It is available as both pellets and filaments. “Although SEBS polymers are flexible and have
excellent weather resistance, they are typically difficult to process with a 3D printer. To address this issue, Asahi Kasei has added CNF to the SEBS polymer to increase the shapeability during
48 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2025
Carbon black The polyamide theme continues with Evonik which has a range of PA 12 carbon black embedded in a core shell for 3D printing. Evonik said that its Infinam 6013 P and 6014 P materials which are designed for 3D printing “through a feat of engineering, possess a relatively substantial amount of carbon-black in the core of each particle”. The precipitated carbon black powders are specifically designed for powder bed fusion 3D printing methods such as selective laser sintering and have high flowability and sinter homogenous- ly. Because the carbon black is carefully encapsu- lated, pigmentation is uniform, there is less visible surface abrasion and wear. Additionally, the material produces 3D prints with greater isotropic performance, said the company. Companies will be able to buy the Infinam 6013P and 6014 P powders directly from Evonik. Arnim Kraatz, Director of Powder Bed Fusion at the German company, said that the new products are “an ideal material for production 3D printed items destined for use outdoors –especially in applica- tions that need to withstand an elevated exposure to heat and light”. This targets the materials at the automotive and aerospace sectors. The company is also promoting HP 3D HR PA12
FR, which it said is a robust, PA 12-based 3D printable polymer. This was developed by Evonik and HP. It contains a halogen-free flame retardant and is 50% reusable. François Minec, VP and global head of 3D
Polymers at HP, said that the material enables cost-effective production of high-quality parts, paving the way for scalable applications in con- sumer electronics. Evonik said that the 50% recyclability helps to
reduce waste, makes the manufacturing process more efficient and reduces the product’s overall environmental impact. Parts made from HP 3D HR PA12 FR have “exceptional surface aesthetics” which makes finishing easier, it said. The material is available directly from HP and is
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