PLA 3D Printing Filament
MatterHackers PLA 3D printing filament is easy to print with and always reliable. Industry leading quality control and functional testing differentiates our PLA material, resulting in printed parts that have an outstanding surface finish and are highly precise. PLA (Polylactic Acid) is the most common 3D printing material because it is easy to use and is made from renewable resources and thus, biodegradable.
PLA
(Polylactic acid)
Extruder Temp
205±15 °C
Bed Temp
40±15 °C
PLA Filament Collections
All PLA Filament 3D Printer Filament
About PLA Filament
What is PLA?
Polylactic acid, also known as PLA, is a thermoplastic derived from renewable, organic sources such as sugar cane or corn starch. PLA can be produced using the same equipment as regular plastics, making PLA manufacturing processes cost-efficient.
Types of PLA
There are many different PLA blends available, although adding materials to PLA can make 3D printing more difficult and even reduce the physical properties of PLA.
Metal - Stainless steel, copper, brass, iron, and conductive metal powders can be added to PLA to create a filament that can be sanded and buffed to create prints that are extremely similar to metal in appearance and characteristics.
Wood - Dyed wood fibers can be added to filament to create almost any wood-like color, as well as a small amount of texture to mimic a wood-like appearance.
Carbon Fiber - An extremely useful material, carbon fiber can be added to PLA to give it more resistance to impact and prolonged loads, making it much stronger than PLA on its own.
Can PLA be recycled?
PLA can be chemically recycled to create a monomer that can be manufactured into virgin PLA. PLA can also be chemically recycled to create methyl lactate. Industrial, high-temperature composting conditions allow for chemical hydrolysis followed by microbial digestion to degrade the PLA.
General Properties of PLA
|
Property |
Value |
|
Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) |
126 °F (52 °C) |
|
Density |
1.24 g/cm³ |
|
Tensile Strength |
50 MPa |
|
Flexural Strength |
80 MPa |
|
Impact Strength (Unnotched) IZOD (J/m) |
96.1 |
|
Shrink Rate |
0.37-0.41% (0.0037-0.0041 in/in) |
Advantages
PLA provides several material advantages:
- Environmentally friendly (if disposed of correctly)
- Easy to 3D print - the most common option for at-home 3D printing
- It comes with a wide range of composite and color options
- Can be easily joined with glues and other solvents
Disadvantages
Some disadvantages with using PLA:
- Low heat resistance - prints and filament will warp and deteriorate in warmer temperatures, such as a hot car
- Comparatively low strength - does not withstand impacts or crushing very well
- Machine processing can be difficult due to infill layers leaving