3D Printing Materials

Compare key properties like strength, flexibility, and heat resistance to select the best 3D printing material for your project.
  • Strength, flexibility, and durability comparison
  • Heat resistance and material performance
  • Selecting the ideal material for projects

Plastic Materials

ABS-Like Black is a durable material ideal for general prototyping. Its sleek black color and glossy upper surfaces resemble molded parts, while the sidewalls and underside have a matte finish. The material is known for its strong dimensional stability and moisture resistance, making it well-suited for creating functional prototypes.

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ABS-Like Gray is a versatile material offering greater flexibility compared to other SLA resins. It is ideal for durable, heat-resistant prototypes, with a finish similar to injection-molded parts. This material ensures a robust, functional appearance and is widely used in general-purpose applications.
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ABS-Like MicroFine™ is a material designed for micro-resolution stereolithography, capable of producing highly detailed features as small as 0.0025 in. (0.0635mm). Available in opaque green and gray, it offers exceptional precision and is ideal for applications requiring fine detail.
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ABS-Like Translucent/Clear is a material known for its low moisture absorption and near-colorless transparency. It requires custom finishing for functional clarity and features high tensile strength and elongation at break, making it one of the strongest thermoset materials used in 3D printing.
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ABS-Like White is a versatile SLA resin known for its durability and slightly higher tensile strength compared to injection-molded ABS, though it has lower elongation at break. It also features the lowest heat deflection of all SLA materials, making it ideal for applications where strength and temperature resistance are important.
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Carbon EPX 86FR is a flame-retardant resin offering high strength, toughness, and long-term stability. It is ideal for applications requiring UL 94 V-0 or FAR 25.853(a) certifications.
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Carbon FPU 50 is the most flexible 3D printing thermoset resin, with an elongation of 200%. Available in black, it falls under the PP-like resin category, offering excellent flexibility and durability for various applications.
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RPU 70 is a durable, rigid material designed for parts requiring strength, toughness, and moderate heat resistance. It’s ideal for applications where performance and stability are essential.
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This ceramic-filled composite offers excellent stiffness (~10 GPa) and a high heat deflection temperature (HDT) over 536°F (280°C). It’s typically used for short-run tooling and molding, making it ideal for applications requiring high strength and heat resistance. For more detailed information, visit the relevant webpage.
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Ceramic-Like White (Advanced High Temp) offers excellent heat tolerance, strength, and stiffness. A thermal post-cure process can enhance its mechanical properties and heat resistance but may increase brittleness. This material is well-suited for high-temperature applications where both strength and heat resistance are required.
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This 25% mineral-filled nylon offers high stiffness and temperature resistance, making it an excellent choice for applications requiring both strength and heat resistance. It stands out as one of the most rigid materials in Protolabs’ selective laser sintering options.
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PA 11 Black is a high-performing material that balances excellent ductility and temperature resistance while maintaining strong tensile strength. Known for its high elongation break threshold, it stands out within the nylon family. It is ideal for applications requiring flexibility and durability.
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PA 12 40% Glass-Filled is a nylon material enhanced with glass spheres, providing improved stiffness and dimensional stability. It offers higher thermal resistance compared to unfilled polyamides and excels in long-term wear resistance. However, due to the glass additive, it has reduced impact and tensile strengths relative to other nylon variants.
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PA 12 40% Glass-Filled Black is a nylon composite filled with 40% glass, offering high heat deflection at 175°C (347°F) under 66 psi pressure. This material is dyed black for final parts and ranks second in heat resistance after PA 12 Mineral-Filled. It provides excellent dimensional stability but sacrifices some impact and tensile strength due to the glass filler.
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PA 12 Black is a strong nylon material, ideal for high-tensile applications. Final parts are dyed black and feature smooth surfaces with more isotropic mechanical properties than SLS materials. It offers finer resolution (0.02 in minimum feature size) compared to SLS (0.03 in) and is the best choice for designs requiring living hinges due to its durability and flexibility.

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PA 12 is a versatile material known for its excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance, making it suitable for functional parts and prototypes. The standard finishing process includes dyeing the material black and polishing the surface for a consistent, high-quality appearance.
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PA 12 White is a cost-effective choice for functional prototypes and end-use parts, offering high impact and temperature resistance. It is highly durable and maintains stability across various environmental conditions. The material has a white finish with a slightly rougher texture compared to other nylons, making it practical for many applications.
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PC-Like Advanced High Temp is ideal for parts requiring a combination of strength, stiffness, and high-temperature resistance. Thermal post-curing can further enhance heat deflection capabilities, though it may reduce the material’s durability.
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PC-Like Translucent is suited for parts requiring fine details, translucency, and high stiffness. Functional clarity can be achieved with custom finishing. Its high tensile strength and modulus make it a strong choice for prototyping molded polycarbonate-like parts.
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Polypropylene Natural is true Polypropylene. With Polypropylene being one of the most commonly used plastics worldwide, this material is ideal for prototyping and end use production. PP Natural is a low weight material, by comparison to other plastics, and it exhibits durability in addition to being both tough and flexible.
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PP-Like Translucent White is a flexible stereolithography material with a translucent appearance. With a flexural modulus of 1,600 MPa, it mimics the mechanical properties of injection-molded polypropylene but has slightly lower elongation at break.
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Tough Black is a durable, engineering-grade photopolymer known for high strength, impact resistance, and smooth surface finish. It is ideal for tooling applications like jigs, fixtures, housings, and covers.
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Metal Materials

Aluminum (AlSi10Mg) is a high-performance alloy with properties similar to a 3000 series alloy, commonly used in casting and die casting. It offers excellent strength-to-weight ratio, high resistance to temperature and corrosion, and superior fatigue, creep, and rupture strength. The material’s properties are measured after stress relief, ensuring its durability in demanding applications.

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Cobalt-Chrome (Co28Cr6Mo) is a superalloy composed of cobalt and chromium, known for its high strength-to-weight ratio. It offers excellent resistance to creep and corrosion, making it ideal for use in demanding applications. This material is used in the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) process for creating durable parts.

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Inconel 718 is a nickel-based superalloy known for its exceptional strength, resistance to corrosion, and ability to withstand extreme heat and mechanical stress. Commonly used in aerospace and demanding industrial applications, it delivers reliable performance in high-stress environments. Post-manufacturing processes, such as stress relief and solution-aging treatments, further optimize its mechanical properties, including tensile strength and durability.

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Stainless Steel 17-4 PH is a precipitation-hardened stainless steel known for its high hardness and corrosion resistance. Parts built with this material undergo vacuum solution heat treatment followed by H900 aging to enhance mechanical properties. The values provided are measured after these heat treatments.
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Stainless Steel 316L is commonly used for acid and corrosion-resistant parts. Parts made from 316L undergo stress relief treatment, and the material properties are measured post-treatment. This material is ideal for applications requiring high corrosion resistance. For more details, refer to the official page.

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Titanium (Ti6Al4V) is a versatile alloy known for its high tensile strength, elongation, and hardness, similar to wrought titanium. Final parts undergo vacuum stress relief, with material properties measured after this treatment. It’s commonly used in industries that require strong, durable materials. For more details, check the official page.

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 Elastomer Materials

PolyJet technology allows for varying hardness and the combination of material properties in a single build, making it ideal for prototyping overmolded parts. With Shore A hardness ranging from 30A to rigid, it offers options in clear, translucent, white, and black colors, enabling a diverse range of design possibilities.

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This thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) combines rubber-like flexibility with strong resistance to abrasion and impact. It is suitable for both prototypes and functional parts. For more information, visit the official material page.
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True silicone is a 100% pure silicone material offered in various shore-A hardness options. It is ideal for producing functional prototypes and end-use products, with a temperature range of -30°C to +180°C (-22°F to +356°F). This versatility makes it suitable for applications requiring flexibility and durability in demanding conditions.

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