this post was submitted on 27 May 2024
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I've been looking into this material due to the really nice surface finish and clean look (actually purchased some already 😅)

However I recently came across a video by CNC kitchen where he raised some potential health concerns relating to the fibers specifically inside the filament. One of the commenters mentioned they couldn't wash the fibers off their skin, and another likened it to the "3d printing equivalent of asbestos"

I don't plan to print with it just yet due to needing a hardened nozzle, and spare extruder parts. However when I do, i'm feeling a little worried about how safe it is - mainly whether the final printed part is fine for occasional skin contact, or whether this material should ideally be left to just cosmetic parts.

P.S. image not mine, taken from here

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[–] kitnaht 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Safety for your equipment, not safety for handling. It's more than just your nozzle that touches this stuff - your heatbreak, PTFE if you're using a bowden setup, the drive gear, literally anything the filament touches WILL get destroyed unless made out of a suitable material. E3D, back when they first introduced hardened nozzles for printing abrasive filaments, learned this the hard way. They set up a machine with an overhead spool for a show, and just the filament running across the top bar of the machine, managed to put a GIGANTIC notch into the T-slot and near cut the machine in half. It was quite honestly hilarious to witness.

[–] redbr64 2 points 3 months ago

Oh wow, that's crazy, cutting a notch! Yeah, I only considered the nozzle, not all the other parts....