CarbonX™ ezPC+CF

3DXtech is a manufacturer of technical filaments from the United States. They have been contributing to the market of polymer filaments and custom blends since 2014. 3DXTech filaments meet highly advanced functional needs in the additive manufacturing market. 3DXtech’s product range includes many high-end technical materials and support filaments. As 3DXtech put it, their products are designed for "difficult end-use applications where functionality is king." Their specialty are carbon enriched filaments, such as the CarbonX ezPC CF.

The CarbonX exPC CF filament is made using 3DXTech’s easy to print ezPC polycarbonate base, reinforced with < 20 % carbon fiber. It was designed as a replacement for CarbonX PC+CF, another filament by the brand. CarbonX PC+CF is also a high performance filament with a high modulus carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate base, made from Sabic's Lexan® polycarbonate, with a glass transition temperature of 147 °C and one of the highest thermal performances in the 3D printing market.

Polycarbonates were first discovered at the end of the 19th century at the University of Munich but after 30 years of research, the plastic was not commercialized. In the 1950s the interest in PC was taken up again by Bayer, this time ending in commercialization. PC is an amorphous thermoplastic polymer with a transparent finish. It is characterized by durability (great impact resistance) and thermoresistance, and it is easy to process by molding or thermoformation. Moreover, it demonstrates good flame retardancy and resistance to oils, greases and solvents. PC also withstands temperatures of approximately 100 °C without deformation.

Nowadays, PC has a wide range of applications in the domestic, industrial and architectural contexts. It is very often used to make electronics and electricity related products, food packaging, toys, office equipment, glass frames, or engineering products.

In 3D printing, PC is used extensively to produce durable strong plastics with a high melting point. It should be kept in mind that PC is more difficult to 3D print than PLA or ABS due to common problems with bed adhesion, warping and moisture absorption.

The addition of carbon fibers

In order to prepare the filament for the task it is designed to perform, it is often enriched with carbon fibers or glass fibers. Carbon fiber (CF) guarantees stiffness and dimensional stability, which significantly reduces the risk of warping. Moreover, parts 3D printed with CF filaments are a great substitute for metal parts due to considerable lightness.

Image 1: Size comparison of a carbon fiber and a human hair. Source: 3DXtech.

All these features make CF-reinforced filaments suitable for the automotive industry (high tensile strength and modulus, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion) and the aerospace industry (weight reduced up to 50 % with preserved functionality).

The CarbonX ezPC CF filament is a high performance polycarbonate filament reinforced with carbon fibers for strength, lightness and ease of printing. CarbonX ezPC CF is a great choice for engineering projects where heat resistance, stiffness, dimensional stability and surface quality are of utmost importance.

The ezPC CF is compatible with the majority of desktop 3D printers. It has a very low risk of adhesion problems or warping, and it emits low odor while printing. This material can be used for aerospace, engineering, military, and motorsports applications.