3D printing materials
What you print in decides almost everything about the part. Here are the three feedstock worlds — filaments for extrusion, resins for light-cured processes, powders for fusion — with the numbers that matter and links to cited bulk-property data where we hold it.
Temperatures are typical starting points — every spool and machine differs. And remember a printed part is not the bulk polymer: the cited data is the ceiling, and orientation and settings decide how close you get.
Filaments — for FDM / FFF
Thermoplastic on a spool, from the beginner-friendly to the expert-only. Difficulty is really about warping, enclosure and drying needs.
| Filament | Difficulty | Nozzle | Bed | What it's like | Cited data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | Easy | 190–220 °C | 20–60 °C | The beginner default: stiff, dimensionally accurate, biodegradable — but softens near 60 °C, so not for hot or load-bearing use. | PLA data → |
| PETG | Easy–Moderate | 230–250 °C | 70–85 °C | The tough all-rounder: good chemical and moisture resistance, less brittle than PLA, food-contact grades exist. | PETG data → |
| ABS | Moderate–Hard | 230–250 °C | 90–110 °C | Tough and heat-resistant, but warps badly without an enclosure and gives off styrene fumes. | ABS data → |
| ASA | Moderate–Hard | 240–260 °C | 90–110 °C | ABS with UV and weather resistance — the go-to for outdoor parts. Same enclosure needs as ABS. | — |
| TPU (flexible) | Moderate | 220–240 °C | 40–60 °C | A rubbery elastomer in a range of hardnesses; print slowly, ideally on a direct-drive extruder. | TPU data → |
| Nylon (PA6 / PA12) | Hard | 250–280 °C | 70–110 °C | Tough, wear- and chemical-resistant — but very hygroscopic, so it must be dried before and often during printing. | Nylon data → |
| PC (polycarbonate) | Hard | 260–310 °C | 100–120 °C | Strong, impact- and heat-resistant; needs an enclosure and thorough drying. | PC data → |
| PP (polypropylene) | Hard | 220–250 °C | 85–100 °C | Light, fatigue- and chemical-resistant, great living hinges — but notoriously poor bed adhesion (print on PP tape). | PP data → |
| PVDF | Hard | 230–270 °C | 90–110 °C | A fluoropolymer with outstanding chemical and UV resistance — chemical-plant piping and fittings. | PVDF data → |
| HIPS | Moderate | 220–240 °C | 90–110 °C | Mainly a dissolvable support for ABS (removed in limonene); also a light, matte model material. | — |
| PEEK | Expert | 360–400 °C | 120–145 °C | The high-performance ceiling: strength, heat and chemical resistance — needs a 400 °C hotend and a heated chamber. | PEEK data → |
| PEI (Ultem) | Expert | 350–380 °C | 120–160 °C | Flame-retardant, high-temperature engineering thermoplastic for aerospace interiors — a high-temp machine only. | PEI data → |
| PPS | Expert | 300–330 °C | 120–150 °C | High-temperature, flame-retardant and chemically near-inert — EV and under-hood parts, usually filled. | PPS data → |
Keep it dry: nylon, PC, PETG, TPU and the high-temp polymers absorb water from the air, which ruins prints (popping, stringing, weak layers). Dry the spool and store it with desiccant.
Resins — for vat & jetting
Liquid photopolymers, chosen by behaviour rather than by base polymer. All are thermosets — cross-linked, not remeltable — and are not bulk database materials.
Standard
Cheap, stiff and highly detailed but brittle — visual models and prototypes.
Tough / 'ABS-like'
More impact- and break-resistant for functional parts and snap-fits.
Draft / high-speed
Thick layers, lower detail, very fast — quick iterations.
Flexible / elastic
Rubber-like at a range of shore hardnesses — gaskets, grips, wearables.
Castable
Burns out cleanly with no ash for lost-wax jewellery and dental casting.
High-temp
High heat-deflection temperature for moulds, fixtures and parts near heat.
Ceramic- / silica-filled
Stiff and wear-resistant, or sinterable to a true ceramic part.
Biocompatible / dental
Certified for skin or mucosa contact — surgical guides, aligners, hearing aids.
Water-washable
Cleans up in water instead of IPA — convenience over ultimate properties.
Powders — for SLS / MJF
Powder-bed fusion has a historically narrow material set — nylons dominate — but it is widening.
| Powder | What it's like | Cited data |
|---|---|---|
| PA12 (Nylon 12) | The workhorse: strong, near-isotropic, dyes deep and evenly. ~80% of polymer powder prints. | PA12 data → |
| PA11 | Bio-based (castor oil) — tougher and more ductile than PA12, better for snap-fits and living hinges. | — |
| Glass-filled PA12 | Stiffer and more heat- and dimensionally-stable, at the cost of toughness. | Glass-filled data → |
| TPU | Flexible lattices and midsoles — the process that made 3D-printed shoe soles a real product. | TPU data → |
| PP | Chemical-resistant, watertight and low-warp — living-hinge and fluid parts. | PP data → |
| Alumide (Al-filled PA) | Aluminium-filled nylon: a metallic look, extra stiffness and machinability. | — |
Back to the 3D printing guide, or work out which process to use. Full cited properties live in the materials database.