Under the right conditions, 3D printed thermoplastics can substitute for metal, providing the benefits of lighter weight and greater design freedom. But like virtually every other material, polymer or metal, ambient temperature impacts its mechanical performance. Understanding that effect is important in choosing an appropriate 3D printing material for a given application.
Recently, Stratasys application engineers measured the effect of temperature on several high-performance FDM materials:
Material coupons were printed for each material for tests at six temperature settings ranging from below-freezing to elevated temperatures. Each coupon was tested for the impact on the following properties:
As expected, as temperature increased, mechanical properties decreased. The only notable exception was ULTEM™ 9085 resin – its elongation at break increased with a rise in temperature.
9085, 1010 and ULTEM™ are trademarks of SABIC, its affiliates or subsidiaries.
Test details, including charts showing the range of performance changes, are published in the white paper below.
