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Conductive PLA filaments for 3D print applications
Researchers at Unipetrol RPA have developed electrically conductive PLA 3D print materials that process well in FDM equipment. They are now looking to apply their know-how to PP and recycled formulations
3D print technology is one of the fastest developing areas in the plastics industry, presenting opportunities to prototype products and even to print series parts for real-world applications. One of the most widely used technologies is fused deposition modeling (FDM). This melts plastic filaments and applies the molten polymer through a die to form a 3D product layer by layer. Polylactic acid (PLA) processes well in FDM equipment, making the bio-based polymer a material of interest for many developing specialty 3D print materials. Czech company Unipetrol RPA is
actively involved in development of new electrically conductive polymer materials suitable for the production of 3D filaments and especially for processing by FDM technology. The development materials are based primarily on bio-PLA polyesters with the company‘s CHEZACARB conductive carbon black. The goal is to reduce the surface and volume electrical resistivity of the printed product.
Overcoming challenges One of the major disadvantages of PLA is its high rigidity and fragility, both of which are significantly increased when the material contains a high content of carbon black. This increased fragility makes large scale production of 3D printing filament impossible due to
Unipetrol RPA’s electrically conductive PLA filaments process easily without filament breakage
breakage during winding. Another disadvantage is the strong
suppression of electrical conductivity when carbon black is added to the pure PLA matrix. Due to its crystalline structure, it is impossible to achieve a lower electrical resistance than 1012
Ω. This means it is still an
electrical insulator. However, Unipetrol RPA has managed to develop a new type of conductive compound based on PLA and conductive carbon black. It achieves sufficient toughness that the filament can be wound without cracking or breakage. The company’s in PLA modification know-how means surface and volume resistance has also been significantly reduced, reaching values of 105
-104 Ω. This
The new conductive materials have been tested in commercial 3D print equipment
represents the transition between antistatic and completely electrical conductive properties. The new PLA material has already been tested in large-scale production in cooperation with a leading Czech manufacturer of 3D printing filaments. Now Unipetrol RPA is working on the transfer of these materials from development phase to large-scale production, followed by a launch on to the European market. Unipetrol RPA‘s core activity is the
production of polyolefinic and petroleum- based products, so the company is also steering its development to focus on modification of synthetic polymers for 3D printing. Current projects include development of suitable polymers for production of PP filaments with a low shrinkage and with ideal parameters for 3D print processing. Other running projects incude the development of materials for production of filaments based on polyolefin and polyester recyclate for less demanding applications. Launching such materials on the market will help to significantly reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste, together with offering a potential reduction in the production costs, it claims.
www.unipetrol.cz/en
Image: Unipetrol RPA
Image: Unipetrol RPA
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