Carbon Fiber Filament
Made up of short fibers infused into PLA or ABS to increase strength and rigidity Overview | Positives & NegativesHardware RequirementsAn Overview of Carbon Fiber Filled Filament
Carbon fiber filaments use tiny fibers that are infused into a base material to improve the properties of that material. Several popular filaments can be bought with carbon fiber fill including PLA, PETG, Nylon, ABS, and Polycarbonate. These fibers are extremely strong and cause the filament to increase in strength and stiffness. This also means that the 3D printed parts will be much lighter and more dimensionally stable, as the fibers will help prevent shrinking of the part as it cools.
Print settings, such as printing temperature, speed, bed adhesion, and extrusion rates will be very similar to the normal settings used for the base material that the fibers were added to (for example, the stock PLA settings would be a good starting point for PLA-based carbon fiber filament). However, due to the added fibers, these specialty materials are more likely to clog and can require special hardware to avoid damaging the printer.
Positives
- Increased strength and stiffness
- Very good dimensional stability
- Lightweight
Negatives
- Abrasive and requires hardened steel nozzle
- Increased oozing while printing
- Increased brittleness of filament
- Higher tendency to clog
Typical Hardware Requirements
Printer Bed
Build Surface
Filament Extruder
Cooling Fan
Cooling Fan Required
Getting Started
Common Applications
- R/C Vehicles
- Functional prototypes
- Decorative pieces
- Lightweight Props
Sample Projects
Popular Brands
- Proto-Pasta Carbon Fiber Reinforced PLA
- Matterhackers NylonX
- 3DXTECH