German RepRap is extending its filament portfolio for its 3D printers. Its new PET-G filament is a thermoplastic material produced by polycondensation from the family of polyesters and is used in many applications. PET-G is polar and therefore contains strong intermolecular forces. The molecule also has a linear structure without any crosslinks. Both these properties are basic requirements for semi-crystalline areas and fibers. The material also has a high degree of breaking strength and dimensional stability at a temperature of up to around 80 °C. However, it has a low impact strength while its sliding and wear characteristics are good. It has a glass transition temperature of around 80 °C.
The material can be processed easily like PLA and also has a high surface quality, which eliminates the need to rework objects when used correctly. The material also has good adhesion properties on standard PET foil and stands out on account of its distortion and warp-free properties.
PET-G is classified as flame retardant according to fire protection regulation B1 and has a high chemical resistance. It has a melting point between 240 and 260 °C.
Depending on the selected print speed, objects can be printed at temperatures from 240-260° C. Due to these good mechanical and thermal properties, the PET-G filament is suitable for industrial applications such as function prototypes or for small batches. The technical filament PET-G can be used on all German RepRap X-Series printers (X150/X350/X400/X1000), opening new application areas, particularly with high volume technical components and intricate geometries. Up to now these parts could only be produced with great difficulty or not at all with similar filaments such as ABS, due to the difficult processing involved.
The PET-G is available on 750 g and 2.1 kg spools with a 1.75 mm diameter exclusively from German RepRap with article numbers 100540, 100541, 100542 and 100545. It is available as black and transparent filament from the online shop as well as from the certified German RepRap sales partners. It can be used with all standard RepRap 3D printers that use manufacturer-independent filament and can reach the required melt and heated bed temperatures.
