Z-Temp Products > Materials Compatibility

Nanodax Glass-Wool-Filled-Polypropylene

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Julia Truchsess:
I posted here previously about this material :http://www.z-temp.co/forum/index.php?topic=17.0

It's not commercially available yet but Nanodax has been kind enough to send me a sample for testing, and I can report some results. I can't post photos of my prints because the project I'm using it for is confidential, and I can't print non-confidential stuff right now because my supply is limited and I'm hoarding it :)

Coming out of the extruder, this material is extremely weak - it takes nothing to break it apart. But once printed, it's incredibly strong - it just cannot be torn. Even single- or double-walled structures are very very strong. Nonetheless, raft and support removal are not difficult at all. It is indeed liquid-tight, as shown in the Nanodax demo video. It's also temperature-resistant up to 120-130ºC continuous, so you could print yourself a coffee mug, although it'd probably get pretty badly stained. In thin flat layers it's pretty flexible so you can make living hinges, but more complex shapes get rigid quickly even with just two shells and no infill.

For my first print I used glue stick and shim, as is my wont, and it lifted off the bed horribly. "Uh-oh", I said - this stuff isn't going to work. At Nanodax's urging, however, I thoroughly washed all the glue stick from the bed, scuffed it with scotchbrite, gave it an acetone wipe to help soften any ABS that might be in the holes, and printed without the shim, using bed heat setting 2. Since then, every print has stuck down perfectly, even to the point of being a bit difficult to scrape off the bed.

I've tried extrusion temps from 230-250º and have settled at 240º. Fan speed doesn't seem critical; I'm using 100% or auto, but I did a couple of prints with no fan and they came out OK too.

I initially had a number of "air print" failures. At first I thought they were due to particulate clogs, so I switched to a 0.5mm nozzle. This seemed to help at first, but then the air prints returned. After further mucking about with extrusion temp to no avail, I measured the filament and found it to be slightly undersized, so I installed a printed PCTPE 8x3x3 roller in place of the stock 7x3x3 bearing. Again an improvement but still not 100% reliable. I then redesigned my part to print without support - bingo! - no more air prints. So it would seem this material doesn't like a lot of retractions. You can get away with some support, especially on small parts, but tall prints with 360º support may be problematic.

I've since gone back to a 0.4mm nozzle and it's printing fine, with better surface finish. Nanodax is aware of the filament diameter issue and will correct it; for the time being I'm leaving in my PCTPE pressure bearing.

All in all, this material is a unique and powerful addition to the filament collection - in some applications (like the one I'm working on now) there's nothing else I'm aware of that can do the job. Hopefully Nanodax will bring it to the general market soon.

Padraicsdad:
Cool! Thanks for the first-hand info, Julia. When available, I'd like to try it for a project I have in mind.

As an old machinist (emphasis on the "old") in another life, I wouldn't be surprised if you find it abrasive and hard on nozzles. OTOH, with your ZT-HE nozzles at $5 ea., that's NBD.

NaotoSakaue:
Padraicsdad

Different from glass fiber used for fiber reinforced filament, the glass wool we used has smaller diameter (4-7um). Therefor if you grab it, you will get very soft feeling and feel no itchiness. 

I won't say it won't. But degree of abrasion is less than that of fiber.

As you know, PP is not suitable for 3D printing because of it's big CTE. The glass wool NANODAX compounded to PP helps to reduce CTE of PP low enough for 3D printing application. 

Naoto Sakaue
NANODAX

Julia Truchsess:
Welcome to the forum, Sakaue-San, we are honored to have you with us!

I have one more follow-up note to my original post: better to use low or no fan I think, as I had a couple of failures today (same place on the print each time) with auto fan, even using a block insulator. Turned off the fan and printing completed OK.

NaotoSakaue:

--- Quote from: Julia Truchsess on June 25, 2016, 07:29:58 PM ---: better to use low or no fan.

--- End quote ---

I better add this to my list of knack.  ;)

I use "no fan" so far and no issue was observed.

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