ColorFabb announced a new experimental material: copperFill.
It’s made in a manner similar to their previous metal-infused filament, bronzeFill. However, instead of bronze particles, they’ve mixed in copper particles with the standard filament PLA polymer.
The result is very copper-like prints, as you can see in the image above, which compares a bronzeFill print (left) with a new copperFill print (right). Both materials require a bit of polishing to bring out the shine you see in the image, but that’s a small price to pay to obtain very metal-like objects.
According to ColorFabb, the material is approximately three times as heavy as bronzeFill, meaning your prints are not going to be easily blown over, particularly for hollow prints. The weight should significantly enhance the “hold-ability” of printed objects, as weight is an important factor in the object’s “feel”.
We’re wondering how the application of an oxider might work with this stuff. You might get some very interesting results.
The material has been tested on various all-metal hot ends, such as the MakerBot Replicator and E3D units. However, ColorFabb cautions that hot ends using Teflon may clog up because the copper particles can stick.
Sold only on ColorFabb’s website for now, the experimental filament goes for €50 (USD$63) per 750g, with a 1500g option for €80 (USD$100). If sufficient sales and good user feedback achieved, then it’s likely ColorFabb will make copperFill a permanent item on their product shelf.
Via ColorFabb
