Plastics for 3D Printing

Plastics are one of the main materials used in 3D printing due to their durability, wide availability, versatility, and general ease of use. From clear impact resistant plastics such as polycarbonate to opaque wear resistant plastics like nylon, plastics have many varied properties that allow them to fit many different 3D printing projects. Compared to other common 3D printing materials like metal or ceramic, plastics are more cost-effective and lend themselves well to potential prototyping applications. Plastics in filament form may be extruded in 3D printers using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. Popular 3D printing materials include ABS, PLA, and PETG.

3D printing falls under NAICS code #333249.

Many different plastics may be used for 3D printing depending on the properties required for the application or project. The most popular plastics used in 3D printing are ABS, PETG, nylon, PLA, and TPU.

The best hard plastic for any 3D printing application will depend on the requirements of the project. In terms of objective material hardness, polycarbonate, nylon, and ABS are all very tough plastic materials used in 3D printing.

Materials that will burn or break before melting cannot be 3D printed. This includes genuine wood, cloth and fabrics, paper, and rock.

5 common plastics used for 3D printing are PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, and nylon. All of these plastics are available in filament form for use in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printers.