Proto-pasta Carbon Fiber Composite HTPLA is a combination of milled carbon fibers and high-performance PLA. The resulting 3D printed prototypes and end-use parts feature exceptional shape stability and potential use up to 155°C when heat treated.
Adaptable to most PLA compatible printers. Heated bed recommended for ease of process, quality and reliability, but not required. Printer should allow third-party filament, parameter adjustment and nozzle replacement. Adaptation and maintenance of the machine may be required for materials Proto-pasta, especially in the continuous use of abrasive materials.
Specifications
Base material: heat-treatable PLA with high temperature resistance
Characteristics: low odor, non-toxic, renewable origin
Molecular structure: Amorphous or partially crystalline
Amorphous as molded, partially crystalline when heat-treated
Melting restores crystal structure to amorphous state
Additives: 10% by weight of high-purity ground carbon fiber
Maximum particle size: 0.15 mm (may limit resolution)
Density: approx. 1.3 g/cc
Length: approx. 360 m/kg (1.75 mm)
Minimum bend diameter: 40 mm (1.75 mm)
Onset of glass transition (Tg): approx. 60°C
Onset of melting point (Tm): approx. 155°C
Maximum use: Tg for amorphous, Tm for crystalline
Usage limit depends on geometry, load, and conditions
Usage
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Hold the end of the filament when unwinding the spool to prevent looping
Protect your eyes when handling the filament, especially the 2,85 mm
Coiled filament builds up energy and may attempt to uncoil
Do not bend more tightly than the minimum bend diameter (in the technical specifications)
Excessive bending of the filament may cause breaks and fragments
When finished printing, secure the end of the filament to prevent looping
Store in a cool, dry place away from UV light for optimal performance
Warning Prop 65! May cause cancer or reproductive harm.
RoHS compliant - contains no cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium: (Cr VI), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), or diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
Regarding food contact ? although the base resin may be safe for food contact, the process and additional ingredients may not be. Therefore the materials are not certified for food contact even though the risk is low. Please consider additional coatings, treatments and testing before pursuing extended food contact or certification.
Regarding skin contact - Not known to be irritating to the skin, however, it is recommended to avoid prolonged skin exposure without further testing.
Packaging
Diameter: 1.75 mm
Filament: 500 g on a cardboard spool
Cardboard spool weight: up to 100 g
Cardboard spool size: 20 cm diameter x 6 cm wide with 5 cm opening
Carefully remove the sides of the cardboard spool to use with Masterspool
Recycle cardboard spools
Printer
Some machines may require specific arrangements for filament placement, routing, adjustments, settings or other preparation and maintenance.
The spool should unwind with minimal resistance
Mount the filament on top of the machine or in another unobstructed location
The filament path should not bend more tightly than the minimum bend diameter
The filament should remain clean dry and dust-free
Check the weight before printing to avoid material depletion
Take care not to place the printer in too cold or hot an environment
Clean the printing surface with alcohol or water
Apply and reapply appropriate adhesive as required
Carefully check the gap of the first layer for jam-free adhesion
Limit the build rate to balance the fusing limits, cooling and movement
Adjust the layer fan to balance the cooling of the part and nozzle
Isolate/isolate the heater block from the layer fan for consistent heating
Maintain and replace the nozzle and other components when worn
Abrasive materials such as carbon fiber and metal composites can cause premature wear of in-line components such as tubes bowden, drive gears, nozzles and other elements in the filament path. The use of replaceable accessories, including nozzles, is suggested. Wear-resistant nozzles are recommended for extended use. Nozzles wear faster as the tip flattens, affecting the nozzle diameter and distance from the printing plate. Inconsistent extrusion, inaccuracy and process instability. Adjustments to extrusion width and distance to first layer and/or nozzle replacement.
Printing
The product label suggests temperatures as a guideline based on typical nozzle set points. Appropriate settings can vary widely, and a wide range of temperatures can yield positive results under certain conditions. At relatively low print rates on uninterrupted printers, HTPLA prints well at low temperatures in reference to the recommended range. With high print rates on machines with interruption problems, higher than recommended temperatures may be needed for consistent extrusion. In some cases, oiling the filament makes the difference between success and failure.
One specific problematic example is the Prusa MK3 which, by design, has a Prusa-specific thermal cutoff with an internal protrusion on which material can snag. To reduce the need for shading and the risk of jamming, users should replace the Prusa-specific thermal cutoff with a standard e3d v6, or oil the filament to help it slide over the Prusa-specific protrusion, or print at an unusually high temperature. The tradeoff with high temperature as a solution is that you'd also have to pair it with a high volume flow rate. Sounds great, doesn't it? That's fine, except for the loss of detail when you have to slow down for small parts, fine features, or high resolution printing.
Prusa MK3-specification, recommendations for carbon fiber HTPLA process:
First layer temperature to overcome jamming on the Prusa MK3: 255°C
Minimum temperature to avoid jamming at 9 cubic mm/s: about 240°C
Maximum recommended volume flow @ 240°C: 9 cubic mm/s
Minimum recommended volume flow @ 240°C: 1.5 cubic mm/s
Volume flow = extrusion width x layer height x speed in mm.
For example, 0.5 mm extrusion width and 0.2 mm layer height for speed 20-90 mm/s.
The poorly cooled sides of all metal hotend can give a similar result and benefit from similar corrections to the Prusa MK3. Aggressive layer fans not isolated from heat blocks and/or nozzles can also create a combination of problems. Finding the balance between a sufficient cooling fan when printing fast and a high enough nozzle set-point can be difficult. More insulated hotends with PTFE coatings can allow slower printing with lower set-points for more detail with less aggressive layer fan settings. Also, insulating the heater block and/or nozzle with a sock can help prevent unwanted cooling of the layer fan. Rapid changes in speed or print speed should also be avoided whenever possible.
Heat Treatment
HTPLA is a semi-crystalline grade of PLA that has been optimized for heat treatment (also known as annealing or crystallization) for use at higher temperatures. Without heat treatment, amorphous "as-molded" PLA loses significant stiffness (and thus the ability to maintain shape) as the material approaches its relatively low glass transition temperature. Heat treatment creates a more crystalline molecular structure to maintain stiffness until near melting, thus extending the useful range of HTPLA, but crystallization also creates shrinkage. HTPLA parts should be scaled up in the slicer to compensate for shrinkage during heat treatment.
Typical heat treatment temperature: 95-110 degrees C (200-230 degrees F)
Typical heat treatment time: 10+ minutes
A wide range of temperatures and times can give acceptable results. With translucent grades and thin-walled parts as a single-walled vessel, you can see a visual change from clear to opaque start in as little as 3 minutes with a full transition to opaque in 7 minutes. Parts with more mass will take longer. What is important is the core temperature and time to ensure a complete change in the structure of the material to crystalline throughout the part.
Typical change in heat treatment: -0.6% x/y, +1% z
Cutter scale in heat treatment: 1.006 or 100.6% x/y, 0.99 or 99% z
Here is a demonstration of measuring shrinkage, determining change, and applying compensation in printing. Here is a further demonstration of the application of scaling, heat treatment, and shape validation.
Additional subsequent processes might include sanding or painting. The addition of carbon fiber lends itself well to the ease of sanding and adhesion of coatings such as paint, however, there are also additional safety considerations when generating dust through sanding and fumes through coating. Please look for safe practices with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilation.