CF/GF

Thermoplastics are plastics that can change their state without a change in chemical properties. They're popular 3D printing materials since they're simple to melt, extrude layer by layer, and cool into a shape. However, the features that make them suitable for 3D printing make them poor candidates for engineering-strength applications: many of these thermoplastics have a low melting point and aren't particularly strong or stiff. This is where composite materials come to help.

Composite filaments are filaments made from regular material (like PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon, etc..) manufactured and co-extruded with additional 5-10 micrometers wide fibers like carbon fibers (CF), glass fibers (GF), or sometimes even kevlar. Composite materials usually benefit from enhanced strength, stiffness, heat resistance, and durability. This strength advantage over more standard thermoplastics used in 3D printing, such as ABS or PLA, allows 3D printing applications to expand alongside these new materials and their attributes. The ratio of fiber to filaments usually ranges from 10% to 30%.

An often less visible property that greatly impacts the final strength of the filament is the fiber length and type of extrusion used during the filament production process. Some manufacturers use only milled fibers, extruded in a random way, others use extrusion methods where fibers are aligned following the axis of the material, which provides better mechanical properties to the filament.

Carbon fibers

Carbon Fiber is a stiff and sturdy fiber that behaves similarly to 6061 aluminum, making it ideal for lightweight components that can bear heavy loads.

Glass fibers

Fiberglass is a sturdy, versatile, and low-cost reinforcing material. It increases part strength beyond that of plastics and is an excellent starting point for printing with reinforcement.

Kevlar fibers

Kevlar has high toughness and shock resistance, making it ideal for high-impact shock-loading conditions. It bends instead of breaking.

Pros & cons of composite filaments

+ Increased strength and stiffness

+ Very good dimensional stability, less prone to warping

+ Lightweight

+ Increased heat resistance

+ Beautiful matt surface finish of printed parts

 - Most composite filaments are abrasive and require at least a hardened steel nozzle for printing

- Increased oozing when printing & higher tendency to clog

Browse all carbon and glass fibre filaments (CF/GF) in stock in our warehouse in Senec, Slovakia. For comparison, see also Nylon and PETG.