High Impact Polystyrene [HIPS] Filament for 3D Printing
Overview
High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) filament is a versatile 3D printing material widely used in the food industry for packaging, as well as in the production of CD disc cases and medical trays. Naturally, this filament has a bright white color and is biodegradable, posing no adverse effects when in contact with humans or animals.
Advantages
- Biodegradability: HIPS is biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly choice.
- Food Safety: Commonly used in food packaging, it is safe for direct contact with food.
- Support Material: HIPS can be used as a support structure in 3D printing and dissolved away with a colorless liquid hydrocarbon solution.
- Impact Resistance: As the name suggests, HIPS has high impact resistance, making it durable.
Disadvantages
- Curling and Adhesion Issues: HIPS can have curling and adhesion problems during printing, which can be mitigated by using a heated bed.
- Heated Bed Requirement: A heated bed is necessary to reduce adhesion and curling issues.
Technical Specifications
- Density: 1.0 g/cm³ (62 lb/ft³)
- Dielectric Strength (Breakdown Potential): 18 kV/mm (0.7 V/mil)
- Elastic (Young’s, Tensile) Modulus: 1.9 GPa (0.28 x 10⁶ psi)
- Elongation at Break: 40%
- Flexural Strength: 62 MPa (9.0 x 10³ psi)
- Glass Transition Temperature: 100°C (210°F)
- Heat of Combustion (HOC): 43 MJ/kg
- Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI): 18%
- Poisson’s Ratio: 0.41
- Specific Heat Capacity: 1400 J/kg-K
- Strength-to-Weight Ratio: 32 kN-m/kg
- Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS): 32 MPa (4.6 x 10³ psi)
- Thermal Conductivity: 0.22 W/m-K
- Thermal Diffusivity: 0.16
- Thermal Expansion: 80 µm/m-K
- Vicat Softening Temperature: 110°C (230°F)
- Water Absorption After 24 Hours: 0.08%
Material Properties for 3D Printing
- Printing Temperature: 225°C
- Flow Tweak: 0.91
- Bed Temperature: 90°C
- Bed Preparation: Apply two layers of glue stick followed by one layer of ABS glue
Additional Considerations
- Storage: Store HIPS filament in a cool, dry place to prevent moisture absorption which can affect print quality.
- Support Removal: HIPS can be used as a support material and easily removed by dissolving in a colorless liquid hydrocarbon solution.
- Print Quality: Ensuring proper bed adhesion and controlling curling are crucial for high-quality prints with HIPS.
By understanding these properties and considerations, you can effectively use HIPS in your 3D printing projects to achieve durable and high-quality results.
HIPS continues to be a valuable material for various 3D printing applications due to its impact resistance, biodegradability, and versatility as a support material.