Nozzle Revo ObXidian

The ObXidian nozzle was created by E3D as a response to the growing demand in the 3D printing community for an abrasion resistant nozzle for the Revo system. The name of the nozzle is an homage to obsidian, a versatile magmatic rock highly sought after by early man. The “X” in the name of the nozzle refers back to the Nozzle X, ObXidian’s predecessor for the V6 and Volcano systems.

The Revo ObXidian nozzle is compatible with any Revo component (extruders, hotends, heater blocks) and it is practically a drop-in replacement for the Revo brass nozzles, with no slicer changes required. The ObXidian is available for 1.75 mm filament in 0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm diameters, with V6 and Volcano variants as well as more nozzle diameters to follow later. The ObXidian nozzle can print at temperatures of up to 300 ºC, which makes it ideal for most commodity and engineering plastics.

Video 1: The features of the Revo ObXidian nozzle. Source: E3D.

To give the user the ultimate product experience, the ObXidian nozzle is shipped with a slip of VCI (vapourised corrosion inhibitor) paper. It is chemically coated with a thin invisible layer of molecules that slowly releases gas and prevents oxygen from touching the nozzle, thus preventing corrosion.

The greatness of the ObXidian nozzle lies in its three key performance factors: thermal conductivity, wear resistance and non-stick coating.

Thermal conductivity

The ObXidian nozzle has both steel and copper elements, both playing different roles in the overall performance of the nozzle. Thanks to the copper alloy elements in the construction of the ObXidian nozzle, the thermal conductivity is drastically increased, which means that the nozzle can heat more quickly and maintain thermal stability. 

Image 1: The anatomy of the Revo ObXidian nozzle. Source: E3D.

Furthermore, thanks to the copper alloy in the ObXidian, there is no need to alter temperature values to compensate for the weaker thermal performance, which is often necessary with other abrasion-resistant nozzles available on the market. With ObXidian, the same profile as for the Revo brass nozzles can be used.

Wear resistance

3D printing with abrasive materials, such as fiber reinforced or filled filaments, does irreparable damage to the nozzle, speeding up its wear and even altering its diameter over time. The wear resistance of the Revo ObXidian nozzle is orders of magnitude higher than any generic hardened steel nozzle or even the Nozzle X, and comparable to the wear resistance of a ruby tip or tungsten carbide nozzle. E3D achieved this by combining tool steel inserts with the revolutionary E3DLC coating elaborated by E3DLC from scratch just for this nozzle, based on the principle of DLC coatings.

Image 2: The custom E3DLC coating on the ObXidian nozzle causes a holographic effect. Source: E3D.

DLC stands for Diamond Like Carbon and it is applied in the form of coating by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The strength and wear-resistant properties of the E3DLC coating lie in the strength of diamond bonds (the hardest material on Earth) in a lattice with graphite. Apart from wear resistance, the DLC coating also provides low friction, chemical resistance and thermal stability.

Image 3: Closeups of the ObXidian nozzle. Source: E3D.

Thanks to the E3DLC coating, the ObXidian nozzle can last almost indefinitely with proper use, even with very abrasive materials. The only kind of filament that has proven capable of removing the E3DLC coating is glow in the dark filament. The additive responsible for the UV-reactive properties (strontium aluminate) is so hard that at very high printing speeds the deposited layers act like sandpaper. This is why the best course of action with extremely abrasive materials is to use a low printing speed to avoid the E3DLC coating from being removed.

Non-stick coating

Material buildup on the nozzle is a very common occurrence, especially with “sticky” materials such as PETg. The build up may eventually cause failed prints as it falls off and merges with the deposited layers, not to mention the maintenance issues.

Image 4: Generic DLC coating vs. E3DLC coating on a V6 nozzle. Source: E3D.

This is where the E3DLC coating intervenes again, as wear resistance is not the only benefit that it offers. The coating is applied in many layers that blend from the bottom layers guaranteeing hardness to the top layers with non-stick properties.

Image 5: The PETg build up on a brass Revo nozzle (left) vs the ObXidian (right). Source: E3D.

The non-stick coating on ObXidian makes the plastic accumulations fall off and be continually deposited when they are much smaller. This leads to fewer and less visible print artifacts, if any at all. Another benefit of the non-stick coating is that it helps with nozzle maintenance, making the buildup much easier to remove than with brass nozzles. As opposed to the Nozzle X, the ObXidian nozzle can be cleaned with a brass brush or cold pulls, as neither method will remove the E3DLC coating. 

The long awaited wear resistant Revo ObXidian nozzle is yet another high end addition to the E3D portfolio. It is a truly indestructible nozzle that will make 3D printing with abrasive materials enjoyable and easy on the nozzle. The bonus non-stick property of the custom E3DLC coating makes nozzle maintenance easier and prevents print artifacts due to polymer buildup. These two features, combined with the great thermal conductivity, lead to smooth and efficient extrusion, with material waste reduced to the minimum and excellent print quality.