Orgasol® PA12, a Material Offering Repeatability, Sustainability and Cost-Effectiveness to 3D printing users

As the additive manufacturing market continues to evolve, innovation is essential to unlocking new possibilities. This means constantly improving machines and software, as well as developing higher-performance materials capable of meeting the growing demands of users. Something to which French specialty material leader Arkema is paying particular attention: for several years now, it has been developing different types of materials for additive manufacturing. Its latest launch is Orgasol® PA12, a polyamide powder designed for powder bed fusion (PBF) technologies. It not only reduces printing costs thanks to its high recyclability, but also offers a better surface finish for more aesthetically pleasing parts. But what are the key features of this new material developed by Arkema? What can it bring to the 3D printing market?

To demonstrate the full potential of Orgasol® PA12 powder, comparative studies with conventional PA12 have already been carried out. These sought to better understand the material’s behavior over time through the evaluation of several criteria. Take viscosity, for example. Conventional PA12 powders exhibit significant polycondensation behavior, particularly at high temperatures, with substantial increases in viscosity. Orgasol® PA12, on the other hand, shows no change in viscosity.

Characteristics of Orgasol® PA12 Powder

Let’s take a closer look at the properties of the material developed by Arkema. Arkema’s aim was to develop a high-performance material that would meet manufacturers’ requirements in terms of sustainability, recyclability, cost and surface quality. For the latter point, note that Orgasol® PA12 powders are highly homogeneous and spherical in shape, with a narrow size distribution of around 40 µm. This results in smoother parts with improved surface aesthetics; particularly important when producing parts where visual and tactile quality are paramount.