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Materials Science 16 min

Polycarbonate in FDM: Processing the Strongest Consumer-Grade Thermoplastic — Properties, Pitfalls, and Print Strategies

With tensile strength of 55–75 MPa and a glass transition temperature of 147°C, polycarbonate (PC) represents the upper limit of consumer FDM material performance. However, its extreme hygroscopicity, 260–310°C printing requirement, and tendency toward warping and layer delamination demand specialized hardware and workflow discipline. We provide a complete processing guide backed by manufacturer datasheets and independent testing.

I3D
Isengajaa3D Research
Materials & Process Engineering
16 Juni 2026

Polycarbonate (PC) berdiri di puncak consumer-grade FDM materials: tensile strength 55–75 MPa, Tg 147°C, dan impact resistance setara aplikasi ballistic. Tetapi mencetak PC di printer desktop adalah latihan dalam mengelola thermal stress — satu kesalahan kecil dan part delaminasi.

Property Profile

  • Tensile Strength: 55–75 MPa
  • Flexural Modulus: 2.0–2.4 GPa
  • Glass Transition (Tg): 147°C — tertinggi di consumer FDM
  • HDT: 130–140°C (0.45 MPa)
  • Impact Resistance: 600–850 J/m (notched Izod) — 10× PLA

Parameter Printing

  • Nozzle temperature: 260–310°C — membutuhkan all-metal hotend
  • Bed temperature: 90–120°C
  • Enclosure temperature: 60–80°C — active heating diperlukan
  • Print speed: 30–50 mm/s — lambat untuk menghindari delaminasi
  • Drying: 120°C selama 4–6 jam — moisture menyebabkan hydrolysis
  • Build surface: PC sheet atau garolite — jangan PEI (menempel terlalu kuat)

Kegagalan Umum

  • Delaminasi layer: Solusi: enclosure temp lebih tinggi, speed lebih rendah, fan OFF
  • Warping: Brim 10–15mm, enclosure heated
  • Nozzle clog: PID tune, all-metal hotend
  • Bubbles: Moisture — drying rigorous mandatory

Referensi

  1. [1] Protolabs Network — PC filament properties
  2. [2] Stratasys — PC material datasheet
  3. [3] Simplify3D — material properties table
  4. [4] Bambu Lab Wiki — engineering materials
  5. [5] MDPI Materials 18(6):1220 (2025) — high-speed evolution
  6. [6] ASTM D638 — tensile testing

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