Why are these things so expensive? is a common thought that may come to mind when purchasing filament for your 3D printer. It’s only a piece of plastic, after all, right?Yes, but 3D filaments are more complex than first appears!

Polymers, the scientific term for various “plastics,” are used to make the filaments used in 3D printers. Polymers are collections of molecules that repeat in long chains. The most popular plastics for 3D filament are ABS (an acrylonitrile, butylene, and styrene copolymer) and PLA. (polylactic acid). We encourage you to read the article that follows to understand more about them. Never the less, if a polymer possesses the following characteristics, 3D printing can use practically any polymer.

• Thermoplasticity
  It may be remolded when heated – Essential for 3D printing.
• Ductility
  It can be “stretched out” when heated – Though it must not “leak” once it has been set.
• Durability
  It’s durable when cooled down – This property can be enhanced or compromised based on your project.

The entire price of the filament is mostly influenced by the cost of a polymer. Each is prepared using a distinct technique and comes from a separate source.Impurities, which are frequent when a polymer is made using less expensive techniques, might also lower its quality. We have personal experience to vouch for this. Although we were happy to discover inexpensive filaments on several e-commerce websites, we invariably ended up getting subpar goods that spilled, broke, had a bad smell, etc.