CarbonX™ PLA+CF is made using Natureworks PLA and premium high-modulus carbon fiber. This material offers ease of printing, strength & stiffness, excellent dimensional stability, and an amazing surface finish.
CarbonX™ PLA+CF is an improved CF reinforced 3D printing filament vs. the competition. Made using High-Modulus Carbon Fiber (not carbon powder or milled carbon fiber). This filament is ideal for anyone that desires a structural component with high modulus, excellent surface quality, dimensional stability, lightweight, and ease of printing. Made in the USA using premium Natureworks PLA and high modulus carbon fiber.
PLA is well-known for its incredible ease of printing, stiffness, and extremely high visual print quality. It’s ideal for prototyping, concept models, and end-use printed parts for hobbyists and industry engineers alike!
Benefits of CarbonX™ PLA+CF Include:
- Ideal for printing without a heated bed, no enclosure required
- Even with lower shrinkage and warping, improved by the carbon fiber reinforcement, this PLA prints great on practically any desktop 3D printer
- Very low odor, perfect for 3D printing in home and office environments
- Greatly increased stiffness, modulus, and dimensional stability
- Made from plants, PLA is a renewable biopolymer
- Gorgeous surface quality to make printed parts look beautiful
Specifications
1.75mm and 2.85mm +/- 0.05mm in diameter
Recommended Print Settings:
- Extruder: 190-220°C
- Bed Temp: 23-60°C
- Nozzle: We currently recommend a hardened steel nozzle with a minimum diameter of 0.4mm.
- Other: Ideal layer height is 60% of nozzle diameter. We do not recommend printing layers smaller than 0.2mm with carbon fiber reinforced filaments.
- Bed Prep: Magigoo Bed Prep Adhesive gives us the best results
- Heated Chamber: Not required
- Supports: Water-soluble AquaTek X1 USM works great for complex parts.
- Drying Instructions: 65°C for 4 hours.
Carbon Fiber
What Is It?
Fibers 5-10 micrometers wide made of carbon. The fibers are aligned following the axis of the material. This, along with their physical makeup, are what gives this material its excellent properties.
What Does It Do?
Carbon Fibers demonstrate a lot of desirable material properties:
- High stiffness
- High tensile strength
- High heat tolerance
- High chemical resistance
- Low weight
- Low thermal expansion
Reinforcing plastic with carbon fibers produces a 3D printing filament that exhibits the best properties of both the carbon fibers and the plastic of choice.
What Is It Good For?
Ideal for any applications which require lightweight and rigidity. Carbon fiber reinforced parts, designed to use less material and save weight, are extremely popular in aerospace, civil engineering, the military, and motorsports.
Abrasive Material
This material is particularly abrasive among 3D printing filaments. Users may find standard brass nozzles are chewed through very quickly compared to standard wear and tear. When worn through, the nozzle diameter will widen inconsistently and the printer will experience extrusion issues. Because of this, it's strongly recommended this material be printed through a hardened steel nozzle rather than a softer metal. Hardened steel nozzles can often be inexpensive and easily installed depending on your printer manufacturer's instructions.