Essentium TPU 58D-AS

Essentium is a manufacturer of products for professional and industrial FDM 3D printing. Its products include a broad portfolio of innovative, specialised filaments. Essentium's materials are developed to offer excellent mechanical performance in various applications in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, defence, biomedical and others.

Essentium's portfolio of filaments includes those developed for a specific use, such as TPU 58D-AS. This TPU-based filament has a 58D Shore hardness, has antistatic properties and is safe for use in the aerospace industry, but is also useful in other sectors.

Some of the most outstanding materials in Essentium's portfolio have been developed in collaboration with leading companies in the chemical industry. In the case of the 58D-AS TPU filament, this state-of-the-art material is the result of a close collaboration between Croda and Essentium and its composition is based on Croda Ionphase^TM. permanent antistatic additives. 

Video 1: Essentium Materials Guide: TPU 58D-AS. Source: Essentium.

Flexibility and antistatic properties

The TPU 58D-AS filament, thanks to its composition, inherits its mechanical properties from the TPU itself. TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is a thermoplastic, more specifically a linear elastomer polymer belonging to the polyurethane family. Within TPU, different hardness ranges can be found. In the field of FDM 3D printing, hardness is usually indicated by the Shore A or Shore D scales, which perfectly cover the hardness ranges of thermoplastics for AM.

With a hardness of 58D, this filament has good flexibility, however, in FDM 3D printing, the degree of flexibility of 3D printed parts depends largely on the part geometry itself, as well as the parameters used and the percentage of filler used when manufacturing the part.

In addition to flexibility, the 58D-AS TPU filament has the impact resistance and chemical resistance of the base material, and adds its most valuable property as an antistatic material, developed for electrostatic discharge protection.

Video 2: Essentium Materials Guide: ESD. Source: Essentium.

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden transfer of electrical charge from one object to another. This charge transfer sometimes results in a visible and even audible spark. In an electronics manufacturing environment, this type of event can cause catastrophic damage to sensitive electronic devices and integrated circuits. 

ESD materials are extremely useful in various sectors, such as the automotive or aeronautical sector among others, and are subdivided into various categories according to their properties. In the case of Essentium TPU 58D-AS filament, these properties would be antistatic. A material is considered to be antistatic when it inhibits triboelectric charge. This type of charge is the build-up of an electrical charge by friction or contact with another material.

Image 1: 3D printed safety part made of 58D-AS TPU. Source: Essentium.

Advanced features for specific applications

58D-AS TPU filament has excellent impact resistance, tear resistance, abrasion resistance and excellent resistance to chemicals, solvents, oil and ozone.

Like the other ESD products developed by Essentium, this filament is non-marking when in contact with other materials, making it safe for use even in cleanrooms.

One of the special features of the TPU 58D-AS filament compared to other ESD filaments is its red colour. This colour attracts the attention of users and is ideal for the manufacture of parts that must be removed before machines are put into operation or, in the case of the aerospace industry, before the start of flight.

Some of the possible applications for this filament are:

• ESD-safe dust caps.
• Abrasion resistant panel covers.
• ESD-safe inserts and accessories.
• Impact rated components.
• Parts to be removed before take-off (aircraft industry).

Undoubtedly, filaments developed by Essentium such as TPU 58D-AS offer solutions that cover very specific needs in the industry, allowing the manufacture of customised 3D printed parts with antistatic properties to safeguard the safety of users in environments with the possibility of suffering electrostatic discharges without renouncing the properties of flexibility, impact resistance or chemical resistance typical of TPU.