3D Printing Filament Guide for Education The filament types listed below are not a comprehensive list of 3D printing materials available within the 3D Printing market. However, here are some of the more commonly used filaments with FDM/FFF 3D Printers:
Advantages Disadvantages
• Affordable & easy to print with • Can be a rougher texture than other materials • Widely available & compatible with many machines • Prints degrade over time so not great for finished product development • Great for a range of education projects & prototyping PLA • More brittle than ABS Polylactic Acid • Made from corn starch - it’s biodegradable and environmentally friendly. • Doesn’t require a heated bed
• Affordable • High melting point ABS • High odour so good ventilation required • Heat resistant Acrylonitrile Butadiene • Prone to warping Styrene • Very durable, tough & impact resistant • Prone to shrinkage • Less stringing giving a smooth finish
• Widely available & compatible with many machines
• Relatively low-cost support material • High print temperatures required
HIPS • ABS compatible • Requires a heated bed High Impact Polystyrene • Very rigid, durable & impact resistant • Heated chamber recommended
• Easy to dissolve • Ventilation required
• Lightweight
• Dissolvable with d-Limonene
• Recyclable
• Excellent support material for complex structures • Can be expensive for good quality produce PVA Polyvinyl Alcohol • Water soluble • Sensitive to absorbing water therefore needs a sealed container when not in use • Easy to use • Not very compatible with ABS, PETG or Nylon
• Very flexible & resistant to warping & shrinkage • Limited brand options PET-G Poly-Ethylene Terephthalate • Highly durable • Requires a high print temperature Glycol • Wide range of print usage • Requires a high bed temperature
• Widely used in manufacturing • Reported stringing issues due to its sticky consistency
• Nontoxic, food safe properties • Not great for printing support structures
• Easy to sand • Not very scratch resistant
• Exceptional layer adhesion
• Relatively inexpensive • High print temperatures required Nylon Polyamide • Very flexible when thin & solid when thick • Heated bed required • Low odour & food safe
• Heat resistant
• Incredibly strong & durable
• Can be machine drilled
• Great for printing living hinges, tools & parts
• Great if your considering industrial, mechanical & engineering application in your classroom • Great for demonstrating the phosphorescence process • Can be difficult to spot print issues due to its Glow-in-the- translucent colour when not glowing • Engaging material for students dark • Cheaper Glow in the dark materials can be really poor PLA or ABS • Fairly strong & durable quality so to get good outputs you’ll need to buy more expensive brands • Fairly flexible • Limited colour range, especially in PLA. Some colours glow brighter than others
• Incredibly durable & strong • Can be very challenging to print with PC Polycarbonate • Great optical clarity • Extremely high print heat required • Heat resistant up to just over 110 °C • High bed heat required
• Flexible • Enclosed machine highly recommended
• Severe fumes
• Prone to warping & layer splitting
• Moisture absorbent, airtight packaging required
• High tensile strength above ABS • High print temperatures required PET (CPE) Polyethylene Terephthalate • Very flexible • Can be expensive • Fairly easy to print • Deforms at 70 °C
• Chemical & heat resistant
• Excellent layer adhesion so no delamination
• Less shrinkage
• Low odour
• Very durable • Not the most flexible filament available PMMA Polymethyl Methacrylate • Fairly strong • High print temperature required • Shatter & scratch resistant • Heated bed required
• Excellent clarity & translucency • Not food safe
• Easy to use
• Very durable • High print temperatures required ASA Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate • Fairly strong • Heated bed required • Fairly new to market, specialist material. • Not the most flexible filament available
• Resistant to UV light unlike ABS – perfect for outdoor • Needs to cool slowly or it will crack – can be controlled use by turning fans down
• Enclosed machine recommended for best outputs
• Extremely flexible material when printed thin • Can be difficult to use Flexible Thermoplastic Urethane / • Great for elastic parts or wearable technology projects • High print heat required Polyurethane (Bioflex) • No shrinkage • Not a strong material
• No heated bed required • Can clog & jam – check your printer is compatible
• Keeps it shape when printed thick • Needs a slower speed to print
• Excellent for electronics projects • High print temperatures required Conductive PLA or ABS • Fairly strong • Not the most durable of filaments available • Fairly flexible • Expensive to purchase
• Easy to use
• No heated bed required
TOP TIP When your 3D Printer is not in use for several weeks, remove all material and place in a sealed bag along with a packet of dried silicon. This will not only stop the filament absorbing moisture, prolonging its quality and longevity but will reduce the risk of any heated element blockages.