Advanced search

Sometimes, choosing the most suitable material for an application is a complex decision that depends on a multitude of variables and requirements. To facilitate this selection, we have developed our advanced search, which allows filter by almost 40 properties until we find the perfect material that meets the necessary characteristics. Some of these options allow you to filter those materials that have a certain property, and other options allow you to select the range of values ​​that the desired material meets.

It should be considered that the values ​​and properties of the materials obtained in the search are approximate and in any case binding. To check the exact values ​​of the multiple properties, you should always look at the technical data sheet of each product (available in the data sheet of each product on our website), because the values and in some cases the scales used in the search engine they are approximations and conversions between different tests, in order to facilitate their usability and functionality to determine the correct material.

We detail the different features and properties available in advanced search:

 Mechanical properties

Elasticity: An elastic material is one that, after suffering an effort that causes deformations in it, is able to recover the initial shape when these external forces are eliminated. It is often common to confuse this property with flexibility, which is simply the ability of a material to change its shape without breaking. Therefore, an elastic material is one that if deformed can recover its initial shape.

Flexibility: It is the ability of a material to change its shape by bending without breaking. Non-flexible materials are therefore rigid.

Machinable: A material in which the resulting parts can be modified by basic machining operations such as sanding, drilling or drilling.

Abrasion resistance: It is the property of resistance to erosion or wear against the external mechanical action of friction.

Fatigue resistance: Material fatigue is the phenomenon whereby the breakage of a piece occurs under dynamic cyclic loads. Normally, this breakage occurs with dynamic loads that are much lower than those required with static charges. The fatigue breakage process develops from the beginning of the crack and continues its propagation and the final breakage. Therefore, fatigue resistance is the ability of a material to resist fatigue loads during a number of load cycles.

Impact strength: It is one of the most important mechanical properties of a polymer. It is considered as the resistance to fracture due to the impact of a given load, taking into account that the impact resistance is related to the temperature and the load applied to the polymer during the crash. The commonly used impact tests are Izod (ASTM D256) and Charpy (ASTM D256) with or without notch. As each manufacturer performs a different test, and in order to facilitate the search and selection of the appropriate material, we have unified the values to the notched Charpy test, assuming that in such conversion between tests there may be some deviation. Therefore, the impact resistance value shown in the search engine should be considered an estimate. If you need the exact value, you should use the technical data sheet of the material provided by the manufacturer and available on our website.

Vibration resistance: Vibration is the propagation of elastic waves that produce tensions and deformations on a piece. That is, resistance to repetitive stress that tends to cause deformations in the pieces can be considered. Therefore a 3D printed piece with vibration resistance can withstand cyclic stresses of this type.

Stress/strain diagram

The stress–strain curve is divided into three regions:

1. Strain elastic region: The material always returns to its original form without suffering permanent damage when the tension is released.

2. Strain hardening region: The material cannot recover completely when the tension is released due to permanent changes in the microstructure.

3. Necking region: The material fails after going through the plastic deformation. Materials that are fragile fail immediately after elastic deformation.

Elongation at break: Increase in length that the specimen has undergone in a standardized tensile test. It can be considered as the ratio between the increase in length of a test piece after a tensile break, and the initial length of the same. The elongation of breakage, together with the strictness, are measures of the ductility of the material. Therefore, it indicates the ability to deform before breakage occurs.

Tensile strength: Maximum tensile stress that a piece can withstand before breaking, and corresponds to the highest applied stress in a stress / strain curve.

Tensile modulus: Also called Young's Modulus (E) or modulus of elasticity, it is directly associated with changes in length (deformation) in a piece when a tension load is applied. It corresponds to the slope of the stress / strain curve in the elastic region.

Flexural strength: Bending effort that a material can withstand before breaking. It is measured through the folding test.

Flexural modulus: Relationship of the maximum stress supported with the maximum flexion deformation, within the elastic limit of the load-deformation diagram obtained in a flexural test.

Surface hardness: It is the opposition that offers a material to suffer physical alterations by penetration, abrasion or scratching. Thus, the hardness represents the resistance of the material to the plastic deformation located on its surface. There are many test methods to determine the hardness using a durometer with penetration of an identator. Depending on the type of tip used and the range of loads applied, there are many scales for the different hardness ranges. Scales such as Rockwel (E, M or R) are often used for the hardest materials and Shore (A or D) for the softest elastomers and plastics. Therefore, and considering that conversion between different scales is not recommended, we have simplified the different scales on a single scale 1-10 (F2P scale), where materials with hardness 1 are the softest and materials with hardness 10 the most hard, in order to facilitate the comparison and selection of materials. In case you need the exact value of each material, you should always go to the technical sheet of the material provided by the manufacturer, where the test and scale are specified.

Surface hardness equivalence table

 Electrical properties

Electric insulator: Materials with low capacity to conduct electricity. The behavior of the electrical insulating materials is due to the potential barrier that is established between the valence and conduction bands that makes the existence of free electrons capable of conducting electricity through the material difficult.

Electrical conductivity: Ability of a material to allow the passage of electric current through itself. The conductivity depends on the atomic and molecular structure of the material, and is considered inverse to the resistivity.

 Optical properties

Translucent: Material that lets in the light but does not reveal, but confusingly, what is behind, so it does not offer a clear image. It represents a percentage of transparency without ever reaching 100%, in that case it would be transparent. In 3D printing, due to layer-to-layer printing, it is impossible to achieve transparency, because the lines of union between layers distort the angle of incidence of the light in the piece (on the contrary, for example, that in a glass, where the composition is completely uniform). There are materials for 3D printing that reach percentages close to transparency, but never the same, but a high translucided.

UV resistance: It is the resistance of a material to ultraviolet rays, which mainly affect parts exposed outdoors to harsh weather conditions (among which, the main deteriorating agent is UV rays). Intrinsically resistant materials to UV radiation will not show yellowing or discoloration of the pieces, nor cracks that cause a reduction in their resistance.

 Thermal properties

Fireproof: Fire resistant material. A piece made of a fire-retardant material is a type of passive fire protection measure, and can give the material the condition of self-extinguishing.

Thermal conductivity: Material's ability to transmit heat, that is, the ability to transfer the kinetic energy of its molecules to adjacent ones or to substances with which it is in contact.

Softening temperature: Temperature from which a plastic material begins to lose stiffness. There are multiple variants with respect to this term depending on the standard or the test applied, such as "glass transition temperature", "vicat temperature" or "HDT". Although there are certain variations between different temperatures, we consider the term "softening temperature" globally to facilitate analysis and comparison between materials. If you need to know the exact value and the test performed, you should always consult the technical data sheet of the product provided by the manufacturer and available in the file of each product on our website.

 Physicochemical properties

Biodegradable: Materials that can be broken down into chemical elements by the action of biological agents such as the sun, water, bacteria, plants or animals. Biodegradable plastic materials are designed so that, by the action of living organisms, they are used as a source of carbon and therefore the plastic material is consumed. Nowadays, to produce biodegradable plastics, starch is used as raw material, which is a natural polymer obtained from corn, wheat or potatoes.

Metallic content: Composite formed by a binder polymer together with a portion of metallic powder that gives certain properties of the metal to the final filament.

Detectable: Materials designed to be detected by any type of magnetic detector, even when the material is present in very small particles. The materials that meet this property are used in a multitude of sectors, such as in the food industries to ensure that in case of detachment of pieces of these materials, they are detected.

Sealing: Ability of a material to prevent external particles (mainly liquid or gaseous fluids) from entering the interior of a piece. In 3D printing FDM (non-isotropic pieces), to achieve a watertight part, the printing parameters must also be considered, since the correct union between layers is totally linked with the final tightness of the piece (apart from the fact that the material possesses said property ).

Lightweight: Materials with low density and, therefore, allow to make pieces with "low weight".

Magnetic: Materials that have attraction or repulsion properties over other materials. This force, known as magnetism, is one of the two components of electromagnetic radiation, and is produced by the particular alignment of electrons in matter, generating a magnetic field called dipole (with a positive and a negative pole). They are recognized for responding to the presence of a magnet (in fact they are used to build magnets) or an electromagnet (an electrical circuit capable of generating magnetic fields).

Fiber reinforced: Among the materials for 3D printing, it is common to create composites from a base polymer reinforced with different types of fibers, which reinforces the mechanical properties of the final piece.

Moisture resistance: Hygroscopicity is the ability of materials to absorb atmospheric moisture. Therefore, a material with moisture resistance will be considered a material that can be exposed to environments with high presence of moisture or in contact with water, without losing its properties.

Chemical resistance: It is the property of a material to resist impregnation, erosion or corrosion caused by chemical substances such as acids, bases or solvents. A chemically resistant polymer may be exposed to harsh environmental conditions without surface treatments. Inadequate chemical resistance will cause the material to decrease the mechanical properties and functionality of the final piece.

Solubility: Solubility is the ability of a substance to dissolve in another called solvent. It should be taken into account that certain conditions such as temperature or even pressure affect the process. In 3D printing, water-soluble materials (PVA, PVOH), D-Limomeno (HiPS) or acetone (ABS) are used, among others, as a support material for another material in the printing process, allowing parts with geometries complex.

Alimentary use: BPA-free materials (industrial chemical element that, in contact with food, is toxic to people) and that has passed all official certifications, being approved as valid material for direct contact with food by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is important to differentiate the certification of the material itself from the certification of the printing process, for which certain guidelines should be taken.

Medical use: Certain materials are manufactured specifically for medical applications. There are different degrees of certification, although the most common is the biocompatibility compliance of USP Class VI or ISO 10993-1, which guarantees the biocompatibility of topical use of up to 30 days in contact with the human body.

 Other filters

Hide color variations: This option allows you to hide the different color variations of the same product from the search results, simply leaving the option in a single color of each material, in order to simplify these results and facilitate selection, since the color does not affect the other properties.