3D Printing Filament Compound (PLA, Natural and Coloured)

About This Product

Polylactic acid is an aliphatic thermoplastic polyester derived from plant sugars. This is a compound rather than base resin: the polyester is melt compounded with what filament extrusion requires, including dispersed pigment in the coloured grades, and supplied as pellets for extrusion to 1.75mm. PLA is stiff, with a low softening point and a narrow processing window, so it runs at modest hot-end temperatures. Filament producers buy resin and extrude to diameter themselves, because diameter tolerance and spooling quality are what distinguish filament brands and neither can be bought in. A printer meters filament volumetrically by feeding a length of it, so a diameter drifting by a few hundredths of a millimetre changes the volume delivered per step and shows up as over- or under-extrusion. Holding that tolerance across a whole spool is a melt-stability problem: if viscosity drifts as the extruder runs, die swell and draw-down drift with it and the diameter moves. This compound is formulated for consistent melt behaviour, and for pigment dispersion in the coloured grades, since poorly dispersed pigment marks the printed surface and nucleates crystallisation unevenly. Supplied as a raw material for processing on the buyer's own line; we do not produce finished articles. It is used in 3D printing filament, filament manufacture and additive manufacturing. Bio Green Chem supplies the PLA filament compound to specification on polymer base, natural or coloured grade, pellet form and target filament diameter.