If you don't — yet — we've got a video this week that gets into the differences between these two high-temperature, semicrystalline polymers. VIEW THIS EMAIL IN BROWSER
If you don’t — yet — we’ve got a video this week that gets into the differences between these two high-temperature, semicrystalline polymers.
The idea for this explainer originates from two recent episodes of The Cool Parts Show dealing with implantable medical devices made from PAEK family materials: PEEK cervical spine implants and PEKK suture anchors. Both of these components have historically been made with conventional processes, and both are typically made of metal. But switching to 3D printed PEEK or PEKK can bring benefits compared to metal in terms of osseointegration, stiffness and even cost savings.
But while PEEK and PEKK share similarities and their use in 3D printed medical devices is growing, the two materials are not identical or interchangeable. Pete Zelinski and I took the opportunity to learn more about these two polymers while working on the episodes mentioned above, and we produced this bonus episode of The Cool Parts Show exploring their differences. Hear from our medical device experts on uses for these materials in health care, and get to know some of the challenges with these advanced polymers. Watch now.
Below: 4 More 3D Printing Materials You Should Know
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Smith Metal Products watched AM for years before pursuing it. The turning point? When the company realized the ways binder jetting complements its metal injection molding. For example, Smith discovered cost savings and helpful synergy with existing machines and expertise. Read more about it.
GRCop-42. This NASA-developed copper alloy is intended for high-strength and high-conductivity parts such as rocket engine combustion chambers, but is also finding other applications here on earth such as heat exchangers used in testing. A number of metal 3D printing platforms have qualified this powder, AM users are developing parameter sets for it, and there has been increasing buzz from materials distributors focused on securing the supply chain for the material.
2.
PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene). These two materials might account for up to 60% of global polymer consumption but have been difficult to 3D print due to dynamic expansion and retraction when they are heated and then cooled. But at least one supplier is working on a 3D printing process compatible with PP and PE filament it also makes in-house.
3.
GRX-810. Similar to material #1, this is another NASA-developed material — a "super alloy" that consists of metallic powder particles coated with a fine layer of yttrium oxide which improves strength, ductility and hardness. While the material doesn't seem to be widely used in production yet, at least one printer manufacturer has verified it and 3D printing seems to have been key to being able to make parts with this oxide-dispersion-strengthened material in the first place.
4.
EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). EVA is a clear, elastomeric polymer that has recently made its entry into the 3D printing space as a potential alternative to TPU. The material is available as both filament and pellets, and can be made from bio-based sources such as sugarcane.
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