Covestro and Polymaker join forces to develop polycarbonate filament from recycled plastic

· Reduce CO2 footprint

· Rich product line debut at TCT Asia

Polymaker, a leading manufacturer of 3D printing materials, has used Covestro recycled polycarbonate to develop a polycarbonate filament called Polymaker™ PC-r
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Its raw materials come from Nongfu Spring 19-liter buckets containing high-purity polycarbonate
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Covestro is responsible for mixing plastic waste with virgin material to produce recycled polycarbonate base
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Then the base material is made into a wire through an extrusion process, which becomes a 3D printing material used in electronics, automobiles and other industries
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Polymaker™ PC-r polycarbonate 3D printing filament is made from Covestro recycled plastic from post-consumer recycled Nongfu Spring water buckets

The material, combined with the application of 3D printing technology in industrial-scale production, can provide strong support for brands looking to build more sustainable supply chains
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Wire made from recycled material has a lower carbon footprint than virgin material
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The product is also more durable and meets industry-specific requirements such as Blue Angel and EPEAT (Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool) certification
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A single source of recycled material is also an advantage, which means that there is no need to sort and identify plastics in advance
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Plastic waste is of high purity and can be recycled in a cost-effective manner
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In addition, sufficient supply is also very important
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In China, the use of bottled water in households and public places is very common
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After repeated collection and filling, the bucket finally reaches the waste standard and can be recycled and reused
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This is another example of Covestro and value chain partners building a circular economy
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This high-temperature, post-consumer recycled polycarbonate has excellent thermal stability and mechanical strength
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Based on these characteristics, a printer with an insulated chamber is required
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3D printer manufacturer INTAMSYS tested the Polymaker™ PC-r with the FUNMAT PRO 410 printer
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The printer is equipped with dual nozzles that can reach temperatures up to 500°C and baseplate temperatures up to 160°C
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In addition, the temperature of the holding chamber can reach 90°C, which prevents the warping of the prints and enables the printing of larger and more complex models
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Test results show that Polymaker™ PC-r is very easy to process and performs well in tensile strength, Young's modulus, flexural strength and flexural modulus, slightly higher than standard polycarbonate
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Extensive product line debut at TCT Asia

Polymaker (Booth F44) will showcase high-performance plastics as well as unique aesthetic solutions at TCT Asia (Asia 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing Exhibition) to be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from May 26 to 28, 2021 of various 3D printing materials
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At this exhibition, Covestro and its additive manufacturing business, including the new business acquired from DSM, will be exhibited at two booths
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Both parties have registered to participate in the exhibition respectively before the acquisition
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Visitors can visit Covestro (booth E46) and the former DSM Additive Manufacturing (booth C48) to learn about our broader product portfolio
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