Having become know for an unwavering commitment to sustainability, US and Ireland based filament providers 3D Fuel have come up with yet another range of environmentally-friendly filaments. 3D Fuel is actively changing the harmful perception of the 3D printing community. As of now, the majority of filaments are made from plastics, which are then melted down at high temperature to create objects. While 3D technologies are certainly pushing us toward greater horizons, the needed materials will have long term affects on the environment. Fortunately, 3D Fuel is combatting this issue.
The new filaments are made of plastic mixed with recycled coffee and beer waste, and hemp plants. They can also be printed on any machine capable of printing with PLA using standard PLA settings. The filaments aren’t dyed, leaving them with rich natural colors, setting them apart from standard solid filament colors. Watch the video below to find out about 3D Fuel’s partnership with 3Dom USA and c2renew, and one of the exciting filaments.
The coffee filament – named Wound Up – comes in a deep brown color with brown specs throughout. Wound Up also yields a delightful coffee aroma right after printing, which fades away over time. While Wound Up can be used to make novelty items and coffee accessories, it is not safe to be used as a coffee cup due to the plastic base, which cannot support high temperatures.
Print like it’s 1799
Entwined – a hemp-based filament – is produced from hemp grown in the US. This filament also features a natural brown color but has a large amout of visible bio-fill, giving it the illusion of a sparkle. The hemp filament was developed after the success of Wound Up. The creators wanted to see what other agricultural products they could use to make stunning, truly sustainable materials.
Lastly, Buzzed is the filament made from beer. Made with waste material from the malting process mixed with plastic, Buzzed is the lightest filament in the line up, taking on a more golden color. This filament also gives off its own fading aroma reminiscent of fresh barley. Users can have fun making cool beer accessories like coasters and 6-pack holders with actual beer byproducts!
