Buzzed - Beer PLA

The filament Buzzed (beer filament) is a 3D FDM printing material developed and manufactured by 3D Fuel; an American company dedicated to the manufacture of filaments. 3D Fuel differs from other filament manufacturers in its commitment and dedication to establishing itself as a sustainable company, working day by day to reduce the carbon footprint in all its processes, from the manufacture to the logistics and distribution of its filaments. Buzzed is one of the materials that make up 3D Fuel's C2composites line of materials, made up of biocomposed filaments.

As they are manufactured from by-products derived from the brewing process, the colour of the filament can vary from one batch to another, without implying any manufacturing defect. In addition, the 3D printing of this material offers unique print finishes. The colour of the material once printed is a deep golden tone with a remarkable natural grain.

The Buzzed filament has a PLA (polylactic acid) base. PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a biodegradable plastic obtained from natural resources. In particular, it is obtained from starch extracted from corn, beet and wheat. PLA is one of the most widely used materials in 3D printing today because it does not give off harmful gases and there is no need for a hot-bed 3D printer, making it very easy to print with it on any FDM technology 3D printer using the standard PLA configuration. In addition to PLA, this filament is made from waste by-products of the brewing process. In other words, the Buzzed filament uses beer residue and PLA to create a novel 3D printing material.

The brewing process is laborious and consists of different stages. Each part of the process is important and influences the final result. The first step in the brewing process is malting. During malting, the cereal grains go through a controlled germination process to activate the enzymes present in the grain. Depending on the degree of roasting obtained during malting, a lighter or darker malt is obtained, which will subsequently give the beer its colour.

Image 1: Barrel for beer production. Source: The Cervecistas.

Afterwards, the cereal grain must be ground and mixed with water to prepare the beer wort. During the mashing process, the liquid wort is separated from the malt residue. To do this, the wort is filtered, separating the liquid from the solid. The latter is called bagasse, and is one of the substances used in the production of the buzzed filament.

The next step in the brewing process would be boiling. The wort must be brought to the boil to provide the bitterness and aroma from the hops. This part of the process also serves to sterilise the wort, coagulate proteins and evaporate undesirable aromas. Finally, the must is fermented and then matured. This process takes place in fermentation tanks.

The filaments of the C2Composites range of filaments from 3D Fuel are considered biocomposites. Biocomposite materials provide an alternative to petroleum products. In this case, natural waste is used, which gives new life to materials that would otherwise have no use.

Image 2: Colour and texture of a batch of the Buzzed filament (tone might vary across spools). Source: Filament2print.

This irregular tone finish with veins is very interesting for applications in the art, design or decoration sector, among others. By using materials such as standard PLA for artistic or decorative applications, coating lines and other imperfections or manifestations of FDM manufacturing technology can be clearly distinguished, which can affect the result of the pieces by incurring a longer post-processing time to achieve the desired finish. The natural texture and grain of the Buzzed filament softens these lines and defects.

Image 3: Beer mug printed with the Buzzed filament (tone might vary across spools). Source: 3D Fuel.

As far as the design and decoration sector is concerned, the Buzzed filament offers a very different texture from other materials such as standard PLA; something that can be very positive when designing and manufacturing pieces such as lamps, vases and other decoration items.

Image 4:  Piece printed with the Wound Up, Entwined and Buzzed filaments (tone might vary across spools). Source: Filament2print.

Unlike other filaments with textures or finishes that are far removed from the norm, the Buzzed filament does not contain particles that may require the use of a nozzle of at least 0.5 mm in diameter. Nozzles with smaller outlet diameters can be used without any problem, allowing for highly detailed parts.

In addition, something that is increasingly valued in the product design sector is sustainability and the search for environmentally friendly materials, so the 3D Fuel Buzzed filament is an option to be considered.

Buzzed - Beer PLA
Eco / Ecofriendly
Sustainable
Biodegradable
Compostable
Biocomposite
Recycling

3D Fuel presents this filament in a vacuum-sealed bag with a desiccant bag, so that the filament remains stored free of humidity.All these characteristics make the Buzzed filament an ideal material for the development of artistic or decorative pieces, although it can also be used for the manufacture of non-functional prototypes.

Due to its easy printing and original finish, this filament is ideal for artistic or decorative applications.

* Despite being a Biocomposite filament with a beer filler, this filament is not edible.