US Army develops multi-polymer filament to make extra strong parts on standard extrusion 3D printers
It's has a polycarbonate core, covered in ABS
The US Army just presented a new type of multi-polymer filament for commonly-used desktop material extrusion 3D printers. The new material could be used to produce critical, higher performance parts at the point of need.
Parts produced with basic FFF 3D printers historically have had poor strength and toughness, which has prevented affordable printers from being used to resupply military parts on-demand, especially at deployed locations. The Army’s new material overcomes those deficiencies, potentially allowing Soldiers to use low-cost printers to create parts that, once subjected to a few hours of heat, can achieve mechanical properties robust enough to withstand the rigors of field operations.
This breakthrough is an important step forward for Army expeditionary manufacturing, said Dr. Eric D. Wetzel, who leads the Emerging Composites team and serves as the research area leader for Soldier Materials at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory. Wetzel’s research encompasses a wide range of technological solutions that could increase Soldier lethality by enhancing the way warfighters shoot, move, communicate, protect and sustain themselves.
https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/multi-polymer-filament/
