Wood Filaments
Wood-based filaments are typically a composite that combines a PLA base material with wood dust, cork, and other powdered wood derivatives. Typically, the filament consists of around 30% wood particles, but the exact number may vary depending on the brand.
Wood filament is a mixture ore recycled wood with binding polymer.
This wood/polymer composite allows the filament to be printed just like thermoplastic filaments such as ABS and PLA-but gives your creation a wooden-like appearance. Wood filament is designed for 3D printers based on RepRap technology. The themal strength of wood filament is similar to PLA and can be printed between 205C and 215C.
After printing,your object will look and smell like wood and it can also be handled like wood. After printing you can cut ,grind and paint your creations similar as you can do with wooden objects.
Why to Use Wood Filament ?
If you want to create 3D prints for display objects, then wood filaments are a great choice. It’s a little trickier to print with wood filament compared to PLA, but once you do it right, the results are great.
You’ll love the appearance after post-processing. However, don’t expect any functional capabilities like real wood. Keep in mind that PLA is a significant component of this material.
The wood filaments are relatively easy to print as it’s warp-free without deformation after cooling. This filament sticks well to the building plate, so it’s suitable for 3D printers without a heated bed. It has excellent thermal stability and flowing behavior with excellent inter-layer adhesion.
You can use wood filaments to print household decorations, toys, art creations, serving bowls, bracelets, sculptures, and much more. It’s a versatile material, favorite for hobbyists, but also can be used for practical applications.
The common applications of WPC are:
Outdoor deck floors
Benches
Doors and frames
Indoor and outdoor furniture
Fences
Outdoor landscape
The Advantages of Wood-Plastic Composites
Wood-plastic composites are highly resistant to rot, which is a huge advantage compared to wood. Another advantage over wood is that you can mold the composite material to different sizes and shapes. Also, the composite material is resistant to UV light and doesn’t fade quickly.
These days, wood filaments are still PLA-based, but the wood is instead integrated in the form of wooden fibers. Many different types of wood have emerged, as well! You can now choose between birch, coconut, bamboo, timber, cedar, and many others. Typically, wood filaments contain 70% PLA and 30% wooden fibers, but it all really depends on the filament manufacturer.
Despite this seemingly low proportion of wood, we guarantee you’ll be impressed with just how wood-like the resulting prints feel. From texture to smell, everything feels very real. This means wood 3D printed parts can be treated as real wood. In other words, it’s safe to sand the parts and apply different paints and coatings.
One thing to keep in mind that you might not be aware of is the smell of melting wood filaments. During printing, it basically smells like burning wood, so be sure to have proper ventilation.