Addbor N25 filament
Additive Composite and Add: North develop unique neutron-absorbing filament
“Guest Posts: Contributed Content for the Printosynthesis Group.”
Additive Composite and Add:North develop unique neutron-absorbing filament
This is a guest contribution by Sou Amadu, Editor at Top 3D Shop
Source: Additive Composite
A brand-new development was made with a joint effort of Additive Composite and Add:North, both Sweden-based companies. The Addbor N25 filament is expected to designate the beginning of a new era. The new composite has radiation shielding capabilities, which means it can be used for 3D-printing of radiation protection means. It is compounded with co-polyamide matrix as a base polymer filled with boron carbide. The filament composition provides for a higher degree of chemical and heat protection levels.
The material is expected to be applied in nuclear industry, research labs and other facilities that suggest radiation exposure. Its main anticipated area of implementation is production of radiation-shielding equipment that’s free from toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium.
Source: Additive Composite
“Additive manufacturing is changing how many products are being designed and produced. We believe that Addbor N25 contributes to this development and helps both industry and large research facilities to replace toxic materials that could eventually contaminate the environment,” says Adam Engberg, CEO of Additive Composite
Boron carbide accounts for 25% of the compound’s total weight, and the filament density is expected to be 1.33 g/cm3. The recommended settings for stable printing are the following: nozzle temperature of 250-270ºС (480-520ºF) and bed temperature ranging from 60 to 100ºС (140-210ºF). 3D-printing is recommended to be carried out using hard ruby nozzles developed by Olsson Ruby or sapphire nozzles produced by SAPPHIRUS due to filament’s abrasivity and hardness. The use of above-mentioned nozzles will ensure that printing quality stays high and prevent nozzle sprayers from wearing out too quickly. The manufacturer suggests using nozzles with the diameter of at least 0.4 mm (0.016in). The filament is promised to feature excellent layer bonding, moderate flexibility, low shrinkage and good chemical resistance. Furthermore, the tensile strength at break is 58 MPa and flexural modulus is 1425-3650 MPa. Addbor N25 can easily handle continuous utilization at 100-110ºС (210-230ºF).
The cost of a 1.6 lb (750g) filament spool is 9 500 SEK (980 USD). Taking a different perspective, that’s a medium cost for a used car. The available filament diameters are 0.07 inches (1.75 mm) and 0.1 inches (2.85 mm). The product page is available on Additive Composites’ official website.
