Koltron G1 Graphene

Addnorth is a Swedish manufacturer of filaments for 3D printing, renowned for producing very high quality filaments, as well as for the strong development of materials for applications in science and engineering.

Koltron G1 is one of the most advanced graphene filaments on the market. It is a filament doped with Aros Graphene, a graphene developed and patented by Graphmatech. Aros Graphene is a graphene specifically designed for industrial applications and whose main advantage is its ability to keep the sheets of graphene separate and homogeneous when dispersed in other matrices, such as plastic. This makes it possible to keep most of the amazing properties of graphene intact.

Image 1: Keyboard printed with Koltron G1. Source: Addnorth.com

The filament matrix is based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), an advanced plastic with excellent mechanical, chemical and thermal properties. It stands out for being an inert plastic to most chemical compounds (except caustic solutions and ketones), which, together with its high thermal resistance of up to 120ºC in continuous work, makes it a material with great potential in the chemical industry.

Its main properties include

Electrical conductivity

It has a volumetric resistivity of only 2 Ohm-cm, which gives it excellent electrical conductivity. In addition, the highly homogeneous distribution obtained thanks to Aros Graphene, provides it with a high isotropy of the electrical properties. This makes it a suitable filament for the production of printed circuits, wearables or capacitive sensors.

Video 1: How to measure the electrical conductivity of a filament Source: addnorth.com

Thermal conductivity

Koltron G1 has a thermal conductivity of 0.5 W/km. This, together with its high temperature resistance of up to 120°C, makes it also suitable for electronic or mechanical applications requiring heat dissipation.

Radiation protection

Another unusual property of 3D printing materials is their current ability as electromagnetic shielding. With an attenuation of 22dB, Koltron G1 provides effective protection against electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.

Tribological properties

PVDF has excellent tribological properties, acting as a self-lubricating material as well as being highly resistant to wear. These properties are enhanced by the effect of graphene, making Koltron G1 an ideal material for mechanical friction elements.

Image 2: Planetary gear manufactured with Koltron G1. Source: Addnorth.com

Flame retardant

The PVDF has the capacity of current as a flame retardant. It has a V-0 flammability rating (UL94) which means that combustion is stopped in less than 10 s.

Chemical and UV stability

Koltron G1 has a high level of stability against UV radiation and many chemicals. It has excellent resistance to strong and weak acids, salt solutions, halogenated compounds, hydrocarbons, aromatic and aliphatic solvents, oxidants and weak bases. As in the case of other fluoropolymers, its use is not recommended with strong bases, esters and ketones.

Koltron G1 complies with the REACH and ROHS directives and is free of BPH and silicone.

It has a high warping and low adhesion between layers, which makes it a material with certain complexity when printing. It is necessary to obtain good adhesion to the base, as well as to slightly increase the Flow.

Image 3: Koltron G1 material properties diagram. Source: addnorth.com

Koltron G1 is available in matt black and in 250 g format, in both 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm.

Image 4: Visual properties of the material. Source: addnorth.com

This is a new material with great potential mainly in the chemical, electronic and aerospace industries.