PETg 3NTR

PETg is a polymer from the material portfolio of 3NTR, a leading manufacturer of industrial 3D printers and filaments from Italy. The most outstanding features of the 3NTR PETg are its suitability for contact with food, its excellent chemical resistance, its great performance at low temperatures, and an excellent surface finish.

PETg (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) is an amorphous thermoplastic most commonly found in plastic bottles and food packaging. PETg is made by modifying the PET base to be amorphous by adding glycol. When overheated, PET becomes fragile and cloudy but thanks to the glycol modification, it is possible to stop the crystallization of PET, to create more translucent and resistant parts, and to reduce the melting point of PET. These characteristics are ideal for the manufacturing of resistant parts easy to thermoform or extrude. PETg has excellent durability, impact resistance, chemical resistance to corrosion and oxidizing agents, moldability and translucency (as a general rule, although this may vary from filament to filament).

Image 1: Part 3D printed with the 3NTR PETg filament. Source: 3NTR.

As far as other similar (in terms of ease of printing) plastics, PETg is as easily printable as PLA or ABS but it has a few advantages over these two materials. When compared to PLA, PETg is more durable, more flexible, has a higher heat and harsh weather resistance than PLA, and better layer adhesion. However, PETg is slightly more difficult to postprocess than PLA and it may be more challenging to obtain an exact color with PETg due to its translucency.

When compared to ABS, PETg does not emit fumes when 3D printed, does not warp like ABS does, has better low temperature tolerance, better UV and chemical resistance, better layer adhesion and can be in contact with food.

Image 2: Parts 3D printed with the PETg filament by 3NTR. Source: 3NTR.

PETg has numerous applications in various industries, both in prototyping and in end uses, thanks to its strength, durability, moldability, and heat and impact resistance. Some applications of PETg include food containers, pharmaceutical packaging and medical products, since PETg can withstand harsh sterilization processes involving chemicals and radiation. Sometimes PETg is even used in medical implants and prosthesis.

Some other applications of PETg include letter signage or product displays, since PETg can be tinted. PETg is also used to manufacture protective guards, testing components, and jigs and fixtures for environments with heat and chemical agents.

The low shrinking rate, good layer adhesion and odorless processing make PETg an easy material to 3D print, contributing to its popularity in the 3D printing industry. PETg offers many mechanical and aesthetic advantages to the user, while not requiring advanced 3D printing knowledge.