PLA-CF filament in Batumi

What PLA-CF is

The same polylactic acid with chopped carbon fibre added - typically 10-20 % by mass. The fibres stop the material stretching: the part becomes noticeably stiffer and holds its shape better, and the surface comes out matt and slightly rough, without the usual plastic sheen.

A hard requirement: a hardened nozzle

Carbon fibre works like sandpaper. A brass nozzle wears out within a few spools - the orifice opens up and the print starts to wander. Use a hardened steel nozzle or one with a ruby insert, 0.4 mm or wider; 0.2 mm clogs.

How to print it

• Nozzle: 200-230 °C, usually 10 °C above plain PLA
• Bed: 50-60 °C
• Cooling: full
• Speed: as for PLA; the fibres do not slow it down

What it gives and what it does not

It gives: stiffness, dimensional stability, no warping on long parts, and a matt surface that forgives imperfect layers.

It does not give: strength. Chopped fibres do not raise the ultimate strength - they raise the elastic modulus. The part flexes less but breaks just as easily, sometimes more so. Heat resistance stays that of PLA: 50-60 °C.

What to print

Frames and housings where stiffness matters, drone parts, brackets, jigs and fixtures, and any model that suits a matt finish - small layer defects disappear on it.

Storage

As PLA: a bag with silica gel, and 4-6 hours at 45-50 °C to dry it.