3D & additive manufacturing
Thermal Stability with Hectorite-Based Multifunctional Process Aids
Additive manufacturing (AM) represents a family of versatile production processes in which materials are layered additively and gradually built up to create three-dimensional objects. This is why the term “3D printing” is often used interchangeably with additive manufacturing. AM eliminates the need for tooling and enables cost-effective, small-batch production with significantly reduced turnaround times.
A wide range of application-specific polymers are used in AM, and platy engineered materials such as nanoclays play a key role in enhancing moisture resistance, improving thermal and dimensional stability, and helping to modulate the degradability of bioplastics.
The use of modified engineered materials in additive manufacturing continues to gain momentum, offering the potential to unlock new performance features across diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods.
These materials are commonly incorporated into filaments for fused deposition modelling (FDM) printers or used as additives in resins for stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) systems. To deliver optimal performance, proper dispersion within the polymer matrix is essential.
Contact us to learn more about our hectorite-based multifunctional solutions for additive manufacturing.