Thermosets, Thermoplastics, Metals and Other Materials

Additive Manufacturing uses a wide range of materials. From polymers to metals, ceramics, composites or biological materials. They come in the form of powders, liquids, filaments, pastes, foils… The list of materials is getting longer and longer. New materials (basic or composite) are continually being developed to provide solutions for new applications, improve properties and/or enable new developments.

Thermoplastics are polymers formed by chains of very high molecular weight. They melt by heat and are reusable. In this group are “the most basic” such as PLA, ABS, “technical” such as PA, PVS, TPE, PC, and “very high performance” such as ULTEM, PEEK, PAEK or COMPOSITES. The latter are increasingly used because, when modified with fillers, they acquire multi-properties and become supermaterials. There are also “biocompatible” materials, which are often used for general medical applications.

Thermosets are highly cross-linked polymer chains, which form a three-dimensional network structure. These polymers cannot be reused. Within additive manufacturing there are mainly two types, light-curing resins that cure with ultraviolet light or direct white light and allow a high quality finish, but with limited amechanical properties, and bicomponent resins, composed of a material and the reagent that polymerises it. They form very resistant structures with high mechanical performance.

Technologies: VP Vat Photopolymerization, MJ Material Jetting, ME Material Extrusion.

Additive Manufacturing uses a wide range of materials. From polymers to metals, ceramics, composites or biological materials. They come in the form of powders, liquids, filaments, pastes, foils… The list of materials is getting longer and longer. New materials (basic or composite) are continually being developed to provide solutions for new applications, improve properties and/or enable new developments.

Thermoplastics are polymers formed by chains of very high molecular weight. They melt by heat and are reusable. In this group are “the most basic” such as PLA, ABS, “technical” such as PA, PVS, TPE, PC, and “very high performance” such as ULTEM, PEEK, PAEK or COMPOSITES. The latter are increasingly used because, when modified with fillers, they acquire multi-properties and become supermaterials. There are also “biocompatible” materials, which are often used for general medical applications.

Thermosets are highly cross-linked polymer chains, which form a three-dimensional network structure. These polymers cannot be reused. Within additive manufacturing there are mainly two types, light-curing resins that cure with ultraviolet light or direct white light and allow a high quality finish, but with limited amechanical properties, and bicomponent resins, composed of a material and the reagent that polymerises it. They form very resistant structures with high mechanical performance.

Technologies: VP Vat Photopolymerization, MJ Material Jetting, ME Material Extrusion.

3D printing also embraces other types of materials. These include cements, ceramics and even biomaterials.

In cements, there are currently many developments, mainly for construction elements. Material extrusion is one of the technologies in which it is used.

In addition, the “new ceramics” and their applicability in 3D printing technologies are investigated, new ceramics and the different additive manufacturing technologies that work with them are studied. Technologies used are: powder bed fusion, binder injection, material extrusion, direct energy deposition, hybrid.

New lines of biomaterials have also been opened up. This is the case of printable food for specific sectors such as geriatric, space, gourmet gastronomy.