Oyster PLA

Francofil, a French filament manufacturer, has developed and manufactured the PLA oyster filament.

This filament is part of a series of biocomposed filaments among which, in addition to PLA Oyster, we can find PLA Scallop, PLA mussel, PLA Wheat and PLA Coffee.

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

All the filaments in Francofil's biocomposite material series have a PLA (polylactic acid) base, combined with a natural material filler. In this case, this filling is manufactured from oyster by-products. In other words, PLA oyster uses by-products and waste from the oyster 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 Oyster 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.

Bio-composite products like the PLA Oyster, 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.

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

The colour of this filament is given naturally by its filling with particles derived from the oyster. For this reason, 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 whitish tone with small particles containing a certain brightness.

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 oyster 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. 

PLA oyster
Eco / Ecofriendly
Sustainable
Biodegradable
Compostable
Biocomposite
Recycling

Table 1: Oyster PLA filament characteristics.

For all these reasons, the PLA oyster filament is an ideal material for the development of artistic or decorative pieces, although it is also a recommended material for the manufacture of non-functional prototypes.

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