There’s nothing super special about this print in particular compared to what people usually post here, just a simple Santa figurine requested by a makerspace patron. However, it’s made from 100% pure PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a natural polyester byproduct of common soil bacteria. Unlike PLA, it is fully home compostable. It can break down in any biome, in a very reasonable timeframe. Also unlike PLA, you can make it by feeding the bacteria stuff like old fast food fryer oil, and other waste products. The print settings are pretty similar to PLA, but it has some significant differences in material properties, like being less brittle.
There aren’t a whole lot of people making 100% PHA filaments, but if you can find it, definitely give it a shot! It’s our staple filament at the makerspace I work in. Hopefully this doesn’t sound too much like an ad or something, I just really like this stuff and want it to catch on.
Oh also! The flexible version looks and feels really neat if you run it through a vibratory tumbler:
What brand do you use? Where do you buy? On what continent are you sitting?
We’ve tried every brand I can find, like Colorfabb AllPHA, Beyond Plastic BioPHA, and Bosk Regen. We usually order directly from them since it’s hard to find in a distributor, but we’re in the Northeast U.S.A., so it’d be really nice if anyone was making it around here.
Thanks for that list. I have AllPHA. Will try it out soon. Is it very hydrophilic?
It doesn’t seem to be, or if it is, it’s in a very different way. A lot of other materials seem to get more brittle in humidity, but I haven’t noticed that with PHA.