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Mussel PLA

Ref.: FRANCOFIL-MUSSEL-175-750

34.95 €

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Approximate delivery date: Friday 27 December

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PLA Mussel filament is a 3D FDM printing material developed and manufactured by Francofil; a French company specialised in the manufacture and development of 3D FDM printing filaments.

Francofil has developed a series of biocomposed filaments among which, in addition to PLA Mussel, we can find PLA Scallop, PLA Oyster, PLA Wheat and PLA Coffee.

Vases printed with biocomposite filaments.

Image 1: Vases printed with biocomposite filaments. From left to right: PLA coffee, PLA wheat, PLA oyster, PLA mussel and PLA scallop. Source: Francofil.

PLA Mussel filament has a base of PLA (polylactic acid), combined with mussel by-products. In other words, PLA Moule uses by-products and waste from the mussel and PLA to create a high quality biocomposite filament.

PLA is a biodegradable plastic obtained from natural resources. In particular, it is obtained from starch extracted from corn, beet and wheat. Together with ABS, PLA is one of the most widely used materials in 3D printing today.

As it has a PLA base, this filament maintains the mechanical properties and the ease of printing of this material. PLA Mussel does not require a hot bed, so it can be printed on almost any 3D FDM printer on the market. In addition, it does not give off harmful gases during the printing process.

This filament is considered a Bio-composite, as it is composed of a matrix (PLA) and a filler of natural material. Bio-composite products provide an alternative to those products derived from oil. In this case, natural waste is used, which gives new life to materials that would otherwise have no use.

Due to the particle content, it is recommended to use a nozzle with at least 0.5 mm outlet diameter to avoid possible clogging. By using a nozzle with a smaller output diameter, a jam could occur which would cause a print failure.

Filament and part printed with PLA Mussel.

Image 2: Filament and part printed with PLA Mussel. Source: Francofil.

As it is manufactured from mussel by-products, the colour of the filament may vary from one batch to another, without implying any manufacturing defect. In addition, the 3D printing of this material offers unique and original print finishes. The colour of the material once printed is a beige tone with small particles of a darker shade.

This surface finish is very interesting for applications in the art sector, design or decoration among others, as the texture and marbling provided by the particles of PLA Mussel filament hide the lines of the layer and other possible defects of the pieces.

In addition to their characteristics and surface finish, one of the most outstanding features of Francofil's biocomposite filaments is that these materials have been developed as an alternative to others with a greater environmental impact. Sustainability is an increasingly important factor in various sectors, so these filaments are an option to take into account.

To read more about terms related to the environmental impact of materials, it is recommended to read the following article.

Mussel PLA
Eco / Ecofriendly
Sustainable
Biodegradable
Compostable
Biocomposite
Recycling

Table 1: Mussel PLA filament characteristics.

All these characteristics make the PLA mussel filament an ideal material for the development of artistic or decorative pieces, although it can also be used in the manufacture of non-functional prototypes.

* In spite of being a biocomposite filament with a mussel content, this filament is not edible.

General information
Material	PLA
Format	50 g / 750 g
Density	(D792) 1.24 g/cm³
Filament diameter	1.75 / 2.85 mm
Filament tolerance	± 0.05 mm
Filament length	(Ø 1.75 mm 750 g) ±252 m / (Ø 2.85 mm 750 g) ±95 m / (Ø 1.75 mm 50 g) ±16.8 m / (Ø 2.85 mm 50 g) ±6.3 m

Printing properties
Printing temperature	190 - 230 ºC
Print bed temperature	70 ºC
Chamber temperature	✗
Cooling fan	✓
Recommended printing speed	30 - 40 mm/s

Mechanical properties
Izod impact strength	(ASTM D256) 16 KJ/m²
Elongation at break	(ASTM D882) 6 %
Tensile strength	(ASTM D882) 53 MPa
Tensile modulus	(ASTM D882) 3612 MPa
Flexural strength	(ASTM D790) 83 MPa
Flexural modulus	(ASTM D790) 3826 MPa

Thermal properties
Melting temperature	(D3418) 145-160 ºC
Softening temperature	(ASTM E2092) 55 ºC

Specific properties
Transparency	-

Other
HS Code	3916.9
Spool diameter (outer)	200 mm
Spool diameter (inner hole)	55 mm
Spool width	50 mm

To use the mussel PLA filament, we recommend using a printing temperature of between 180 and 210 ºC. As with standard PLA, this material does not require a warm bed, so the temperature of the appropriate printing base would be between 40 and 60 ºC. For better adhesion, a Buildtak printing base or Magigoo adhesive can be used. This will avoid the warping effect even on large pieces.

As far as printing speed is concerned, it is recommended to print at a speed of between 40 and 60 mm/s. As usual, lower layer heights produce greater detail clarity, but the printing process will be slower.

Due to its particle load, it is recommended to use a nozzle with an outlet diameter of at least 0.5 mm to avoid clogging.

The mussel PLA filament is somewhat sensitive to moisture absorption, so it is recommended that the filament be kept in a vacuum pack with a desiccant bag or use a filament pack with a PrintDry vacuum seal. If you have been exposed to damp conditions, it is recommended that you use a filament dryer such as PrintDry II to dry the filament. Using the filament wet can cause degradation of the polymer, increase the brittleness of the material or affect the adhesion of layers when printing a 3D part.