Infinite Material Solutions LLC. aka Infinite™ has launched a new material for additive manufacturing. Infinite™ is a company that specializes in material design for AM.
If you are a regular reader of 3D ADEPT Media, you may certainly have discovered the company’s water-soluble support which is compatible with high-temperature 3D printable thermoplastics.
The new material it unveils today is called Caverna™ PP. It is an extrudable thermoplastic with a water-soluble, co-continuous, microporous morphology. For non-experts in materials science, this means that the filament can create lightweight foam parts that look like a sponge.
Caverna PP is the first of many to come in the Caverna™ portfolio. To develop this new solution for FFF 3D printers, the materials expert has blended two polymers: a soluble material to be removed through dissolution, and an insoluble build material (in this case, polypropylene) to remain.
He explains that after dissolution, the water-soluble phase leaves behind a cave-like network of microporous, interconnected channels inside the build material, making it light, soft, and porous.
“With so many breakthroughs happening on a regular basis, additive manufacturing is an exciting space to participate in,” said Chief Operating Officer Larry Doerr atInfinite™. “I’m extremely proud of our team for once again creating a material that stands out and redefines what’s possible with FFF — and I’m excited to watch the industry take Caverna PP’s unique capabilities and run with them.”
Engineers who will experience the capabilities of this material will be able to achieve new applications in fields such as filtration, separators, footwear, and personal protective equipment. According to Infinite™, Caverna™ PP would be the ideal choice for the development of porous tooling for the production of vacuum formed parts. Indeed, its co-continuous distribution of tiny pores (1–4µ) enables consistent airflow, removing this way, the need to drill holes, and maximizing material distribution.
Caverna PP completes a portfolio that is already made-up of AquaSys® 120 and AquaSys® 180 water-soluble support filaments, which are available at 3DGBIRE.
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