PC/PTFE Pellets

The renowned 3D printing materials manufacturer Nanovia has brought together two of the toughest plastic materials available in the industrial field, polycarbonate (PC) and PTFE (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) to produce a truly advanced final material.

This material is based on PC alloyed with a high percentage of PTFE. The polycarbonate provides its high mechanical strength property and the PTFE complements it by reducing wear and friction. In addition, PC/PTFE is resistant to high temperatures (130ºC), making it a safe bet when it comes to making moving mechanical parts such as gears and bearings.

The friction coefficient of PC/PTFE is really low, values that very few materials in the world of 3D printing have. The friction of wood against itself has higher values, and that of waxed wood against wet snow has lower but very close values. As the above data shows, PC/PTFE is ideal for making parts in contact with rolling elements.

The above property is directly complemented by the low wear coefficient. This quality is essential for making durable parts without worrying about the proper functioning of the manufactured part. Furthermore, PC/PTFE pellets withstand high operating temperatures even under high pressure loads and is considered a self-lubricating material.

PC/PTFE also stands out as the only existing hydrophobic material for 3D printing, which means that this material repels water. This is because it is not a water miscible material, the molecules of PC/PTFE are not able to interact with water molecules either by ion-dipole interactions or by hydrogen bridging. A clear example of this case would be mixing water with oil.

PC/PTFE pellets do not incorporate recycled or reclaimed material. Thanks to these qualities, PC/PTFE pellets are perfect for 3D printing, achieving high print quality. There are several methods for using pellets in 3D printing:

• PC/PTFE pellets can be used in the manufacture of filament for FDM 3D printers using Filastruder or any other filament extruder.
• It is possible to use a pellet extruder for 3D printing directly.

With the combination of PC/PTFE pellets and a good filament extruder such as Filastruder, it is possible to obtain 3D printing filament with qualities similar to those of a commercial PC/PTFE filament such as PC/PTFE filament from Nanovia. 

When using PC/PTFE Pellets to make filament with a filament extruder such as Filastruder or using a pellet extruder for direct 3D printing, it should be noted that the extrusion temperature must be regulated in relation to the extrusion speed used. For optimal results, it is recommended to read the product's usage tips.

In summary, the fusion of PC with PTFE results in a material with high mechanical strength, high temperature resistance and high moisture resistance, which makes it an advanced material for FDM/FFF 3D printing, recommended for expert users.