PolyMax™ Tough PC | Polymaker™
PolyMax™ PC is one of the toughest material in our material portfolio. It has been developped using the Polymaker's nano-reinforcment technology which dramatically improves the toughness of the material by increasing its impact resistance. It features also great thermal properties typical to PC, up to 117°C.
Technical informations
Thermal properties | |
| HDT-A | 99.3 °C |
| HDT-B | 114.1 °C |
| Glass transition (Tg) | 113 °C |
| Vicat softening temperature | 116.9 °C |
| Drying settings | 80 °C for 6 h |
| Annealing settings | 100 °C for 6 h |
Filament properties | |
| Country of origin | China |
| Filament density | 1.19 g/mm3 |
| Diameter tolerance | 0.04 mm |
| Recommended adhesive | Magigoo Pro PC - Adhesive for Polycarbonate |
Spool weight and dimensions |
How to store filaments
Humidity and UV light can decrease the filament quality and weaken its mechanical properties. We strongly recommend storing open filaments in a dry and dark place. You can find a complete guide on how to properly store your filament here
Where to throw print fails and supports?
We kindly ask our customers to cope with plastic waste responsibly. Failed prints, support material, rafts, or brims should be liquidated according to the local guidelines. Paradoxically, in most cases, it is better to throw this waste in the regular trash can, as most of the material waste created in 3D printing is not identified, which causes more problems than benefits in the waste sorting facilities.
PolyMax™ Tough PC | Polymaker™
PolyMax™ PC is one of the toughest material in our material portfolio. It has been developped using the Polymaker's nano-reinforcment technology which dramatically improves the toughness of the material by increasing its impact resistance. It features also great thermal properties typical to PC, up to 117°C.
PolyMax™ PC can be annealed right after the printing process at 100˚C for 2 hours to release residual internal stress and therefore preserve its mechanical properties.
PolyMax™ PC can be sanded to obtain a smoother surface.
VIDEO
General information about PC :
Printability of PC filament
PC is a material reserved for advanced 3D printing users. It requires a lot of conditions to be met during printing. It usually requires a very high printing temperature but most PC filaments contain additives that enable the filament to be printed at lower temperatures. PC is prone to warping and has a high tendency to oozing during printing. PC is also highly hygroscopic, meaning that cracks and bubbles can appear during the printing process if the filament isn't dried well. To summarize:
- Use an enclosure, ideally heated chamber
- Be sure to have the filament dried before printing or dry it following the drying instructions of the manufacturer, keep the filament dry, and ideally have it in the PolyBox or something equivalent.
- Use a special adhesive like Magigoo PP or BuildTak
- Slightly increase your standard retraction distance and speed to prevent oozing
From our experience, the material seems to stick the best with slow thick extrusions on the first layer. We recommend using a first layer height of 100-150%, a first layer width of 12-150%, and a first layer speed of 15-30%. Additionally, setting the first layer to print 30°C hotter can greatly improve the first layer adhesion.
Virgin PC has a high glass transition temperature (Tg) and thus can be used in high-temperature applications. However, having a high Tg can make it very difficult to print using desktop printers, as these are usually not equipped to cater to the high printing temperatures required to print virgin PC. Virgin PC in fact tends to warp considerably when printed at an insufficient bed temperature (<130 ºC), in non-heated enclosed chambers without the use of an appropriate bed adhesive.
PC mechanical and thermal properties
PC is a high-strength material designed for use in harsh conditions and engineering applications. Its heat deflection and impact resistance are both extremely high. The typical glass transition temperature of polycarbonate is 150°C. This indicates that it can retain structural integrity up to that temperature, making it ideal for high-temperature applications. This material is very tough, meaning that it is bendable without breaking. The strength and toughness of PC make it an ideal FDM material for the production of functional prototypes as well as end-use part, nonetheless, the material does present some printing challenges
Tips and other notable benefits of PC
PC is a 3D printing material that is known for its impact resistance and transparency. The polycarbonate filament can withstand temperatures between -150°C and 140°C, allowing for a wider range of applications.
Browse all PC (polycarbonate) filaments in stock in our warehouse in Senec, Slovakia. For comparison, see also ABS and CF/GF.
PolyMaker is a premium quality 3D printing filament manufacturer. They're known for "hacking" 3D printing materials where their materials overtake any competition. With 7 registered technologies, their 3D printing filaments widen the range of applications of any desktop 3D printer. One of the most interesting is PolySmooth's layer-free technology, where when combined with the Polysher, you can obtain a perfectly smooth and perfectly layer-free print. Recently, PolyMaker decided to lower its impact on the planet and released PolyTerra™, an ecological breakthrough among filaments, where the filament, the package, and the spool are biodegradable. In addition, a tree is planted for each sold filament!
Material Comparison Chart
A comprehensive and extremely valuable resource provided by PolyMaker is the comparison chart. The chart is a true goldmine allowing easy comparison between materials with each mechanical and thermal property. It also includes data about the ease of printing.
Print Profiles
On Polymaker's download page you can find print profiles for most commercial 3D printers like Prusa, Flashforge, Raise3D, Ultimaker, Lulzbot.. also tweaked for different slicers, like Prusa Slicer, Cura or even IdeaMaker.
Browse all Polymaker™ filaments in stock in our Senec warehouse. PolyDryer, PolyBox and the Polysher smoothing machine are in 3D printing accessories.