| HS Code | 587776 |
| Material Family | Polylactic acid (PLA) |
| Grade | PLA-X3 |
| Form | Pellets |
| Processing Method | Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) |
| Density | 1.24 g/cm3 |
| Melt Flow Rate | 15 g/10 min at 190 C/2.16 kg |
| Tensile Strength | 55 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 3500 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 5% |
| Flexural Strength | 85 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 3500 MPa |
| Notched Izod Impact Strength | 3 kJ/m2 |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 55 C at 0.45 MPa |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 60 C |
| Melting Temperature | 155 C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 60 C |
| Printing Temperature | 190-220 C |
| Bed Temperature | 40-60 C |
| Biobased Content | >90% |
As an accredited Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 PLA 3D Printing Polymer factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | 1 kg spool, vacuum-sealed in foil with desiccant, in labeled Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 PLA 3D printing polymer box. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loaded with Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 PLA 3D Printing Polymer, palletized, shrink-wrapped, and secured for dry, ambient transport. |
| Shipping | Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 PLA 3D Printing Polymer ships as a non-hazardous solid thermoplastic in sealed, moisture-barrier bags or containers with desiccant. Transport at ambient temperature; avoid heat, moisture, UV, and physical damage. No UN/DOT/ADR/IATA special classification required. Keep sealed until use for optimal print quality. |
| Storage | Store Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 PLA polymer in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, flames, and oxidizing agents. Keep sealed in original packaging or an airtight container with desiccant to prevent moisture uptake. Maintain recommended temperature and humidity, and rotate stock. Avoid prolonged UV and high-temperature exposure, which can degrade print quality. |
| Shelf Life | Typically 12 months when stored sealed in a cool, dry, dark place, protected from moisture, heat, and UV light. |
Automotive body-shop and final-assembly operations deposit Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 as a 100 wt% unfilled pellet feedstock through large-format fused granular fabrication cells, primarily for short-run locating fixtures and inspection aids that replace machined polyoxymethylene or glass-reinforced nylon. The first process control point is moisture: pellets are pre-dried at 80 °C for 4 h to a residual moisture below 250 ppm, because hydrolysis at melt temperature reduces molecular weight, lowers interlayer fusion, and produces brittle weld lines. Extrusion is carried out on screw extruders with L/D ≥ 24:1 using melt temperatures from 190 °C to 220 °C, nozzle diameters from 2 mm to 6 mm, and layer heights from 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm. When deposition pressure approaches the machine-specific upper limit of the extruder manufacturer, melt temperature is reduced in 2 °C steps rather than increasing screw speed beyond the continuous torque rating; published data for this specific PLA-X3 grade across all robot-mounted configurations is limited, and a structured design-of-experiments is required to fix the deposition window. Colour masterbatch is metered at 2.0–3.0 wt% when optical part recognition or colour-coded assembly lines require grey or black surfaces. Dimensional control for inspection fixtures is governed by customer-specific gauging tolerances under IATF 16949:2016 Section 8.5.1, while substance restrictions are assessed against REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II. The downstream process includes CNC post-machining of datum pads and bushings, solvent-free abrasive finishing, and optional annealing at 80 °C for 2 h to relieve residual deposition stress. Terminal parts include locating fixtures, body-in-white checking aids, end-of-arm robotic grippers, and colour-coded assembly gauges. Continuous service above 55 °C is not recommended without metallic reinforcement, and steam autoclave exposure is incompatible.
Architectural formwork cells use PLA-X3 as a 100 wt% unfilled printing polymer without cementitious fillers, because mineral fillers accelerate nozzle wear and reduce interlayer adhesion at large layer thicknesses. The printed mould positive is produced by large-format FGF at layer heights of 1.0–2.5 mm, then sealed with a two-component polyurethane or epoxy coating at 200–400 g/m² before release-agent application. The coating functions as a moisture barrier at the PLA-concrete interface, limiting water absorption and swelling, and also provides the abrasion resistance needed for repeated demoulding. Regulatory compliance for the installed architectural element is assessed under the relevant jurisdiction: EN 13501-1 or ASTM E84 surface burning classification may apply when the printed component is retained in the building; temporary formwork is usually evaluated under construction site safety rules and REACH chemical registration. The downstream production process is sequential: FGF deposition, surface seal curing at 20–40 °C, then concrete placement. Terminal product types include column formers, ornamental form liners, facade panel moulds, and lost formwork for complex void geometries. The limiting technical risk is creep under hydrostatic concrete pressure; PLA-X3 exhibits time-dependent deformation under sustained stress, so backside steel or timber supports are required for vertical pours exceeding 1 m in head height. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, and each mould geometry requires a deflection test before production casting.
In low-volume metal casting, printed PLA-X3 patterns serve as sacrificial positives for silica sol and sodium silicate bonded sand moulds. The recommended formulation is 100 wt% virgin PLA-X3 with no slip agents, no halogenated flame retardants, and no mineral fillers; such additives raise combustion residues above the 0.1 wt% ash threshold accepted by many foundry pattern shops. The deposition process follows large-format FGF with a preference for low-void shells of 2–4 mm thickness, because thicker sections increase burnout time without improving mould dimensional accuracy. Dimensional tolerance of the printed pattern is evaluated against ISO 8062-3:2007 precision grades for castings, with pattern allowance applied according to the foundry's shrinkage rule. After printing, the pattern is coated with refractory slurry, dried, and subjected to a controlled burnout cycle reaching 600 °C to 700 °C under an oxidative atmosphere; off-gassing must be vented through a thermal oxidizer or afterburner. Terminal products include pump housings, impeller prototypes, manifold sand-casting patterns, and low-volume bracketry. The operational boundary is moisture uptake before shelling: storage above 60% relative humidity requires re-drying at 80 °C for 4 h to avoid steam pores in the ceramic shell.
Small-batch furniture manufacturing using PLA-X3 substitutes for injection moulding at volumes below roughly 500 units, where steel tooling amortisation becomes uneconomic. The compound is a 100 wt% PLA-X3 base with colour masterbatch added at 2.0–4.0 wt%; where parts are exposed to direct sunlight or strong retail lighting, a UV stabilizer masterbatch at 2.0–5.0 wt% may be included, but published data for this specific configuration is limited and QUV or Xenon arc testing under ISO 4892-2:2013 is required before specifying outdoor or glazed exposure. Seating products must satisfy EN 16139:2013 strength and durability test methods for non-domestic seating; display fixtures are typically assessed under REACH and national flammability codes rather than a single harmonised standard. The downstream process is large-format FGF with nozzle sizes of 3 mm to 8 mm, followed by five-axis CNC trimming, sanding, and mechanical fastening into sub-assemblies. Because the heat deflection temperature of PLA-X3 is low, printed seating shells are limited to indoor environments below 45 °C and must not be placed near radiators, high-intensity lamps, or direct sunlight behind glazing. Terminal products include display pedestals, point-of-sale furniture, non-structural seating shells, and custom retail fixtures. Solvent welding of PLA parts with dichloromethane is possible but not recommended for production, because vapour exposure controls under Directive 2004/37/EC apply.
Composite tooling applications of PLA-X3 remain confined to room-temperature or moderately warm processes because the heat deflection temperature of unfilled PLA is close to 55 °C under load. For composite layup templates, drill jigs, and vacuum-bag moulds, the formulation is 100 wt% PLA-X3; when laser tracking or machine vision requires high-contrast matte black surfaces, a carbon black masterbatch is added at 2.0 wt%, but this addition is not a reinforcement. The tool is printed by FGF at layer heights of 0.8–2.0 mm, then mechanically dressed and sealed with a low-viscosity epoxy skin to reduce porosity. Hand layup or wet layup of glass fibre is performed at ambient temperature below 50 °C; oven post-cure of the composite part on the PLA tool is not permitted. Chemical compatibility is a boundary condition: epoxy systems based on aggressive amine hardeners may attack the PLA surface over repeated releases, so a release film or polyvinyl alcohol barrier is required. Dimensional inspection of the printed tool is referenced to ISO/ASTM 52900 terminology and customer coordinate-measurement reports, not to a single composite material standard. Terminal products include checking fixtures, drill templates, room-temperature vacuum bag moulds, and composite trim fixtures. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; maximum service temperature and amine resistance must be confirmed with the selected sealant system.
Where static dissipation is specified, PLA-X3 is loaded with an antistatic masterbatch at 2.0–5.0 wt% into the pellet feed; otherwise the tray or end-effector is printed at 100 wt% unfilled PLA-X3. The antistatic modification increases moisture sensitivity, so pellets must be dried to below 200 ppm residual moisture and processed within 4 h of drying when ambient humidity exceeds 50%. Compliance for static-control surfaces is evaluated against ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021, and finished parts must meet RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II restrictions because they enter electronics assembly areas. The downstream process uses large-format FGF with nozzle diameters of 2–5 mm, after which critical locating surfaces are machined flat and fitted with threaded brass inserts. Terminal products include solder-pallet carriers, PCB handling trays, robot end effectors, and ESD-safe assembly jigs. The operational boundary is thermal and chemical: continuous service above 50 °C is not recommended, and spray solvents such as ketones should be avoided because PLA-X3 loses surface hardness and may crack under residual stress.
Short-run thermoforming plug assists and cavity prototypes represent a lower-volume application in which PLA-X3 is deposited as a 100 wt% unfilled polymer and then CNC-machined to the contour of the desired blister or tray. The formulation excludes plasticizers because migration of low-molecular-weight additives can contaminate the thermoformed sheet surface; if release is insufficient, a sprayed PTFE-free release coating is applied after machining rather than compounding an internal lubricant. Process requirements differ from structural printing: the plug assist is printed with a closed contour of 3–5 mm thickness, then machined and polished to a surface roughness of Ra < 1.6 µm to avoid marking the heated sheet. Compliance is governed by the final packaging article, not the tooling; where food-contact packs are produced, the sheet polymer and food-contact compliance are assessed under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and the tool remains an indirect contact surface. The plug operates at sheet contact temperatures up to 60 °C if contact time is short; sustained exposure above this threshold causes surface deformation. Terminal products include blister-pack plug assists, cavity prototypes for tray forming, and proof-of-concept thermoforming tools. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, and cycle-rate trials are required to establish thermal equilibrium of the PLA plug.
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Mitsubishi FGF PLA-X3 is a polylactic acid (PLA)-based granular feedstock supplied for fused granular fabrication (FGF) systems. The designation distinguishes the material from filament-grade PLA by pellet geometry, melt rheology, and deposition scale. In FGF equipment, polymer granules are metered into a heated barrel, plastified by a rotating screw, and deposited through a nozzle with an opening generally between 1.0 mm and 5.0 mm. The material is intended for large-format additive manufacturing where filament-fed extrusion becomes deposition-rate-limited or logistically constrained. Product-specific mechanical data from Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers are limited for uncontrolled print conditions; qualification should be performed on printed coupons using ISO 527-2:2012 or ASTM D638-14 tensile methods and ISO 1183-1:2019 density measurement.
As a PLA-based composition, the product belongs to the semi-crystalline thermoplastic class with a glass transition near 55–60 °C and a melting range between 150 °C and 170 °C for unmodified PLA homopolymer references. The material is hygroscopic. Pellet surface moisture can exceed 0.25 wt% after exposure to ambient relative humidity above 50% RH, and hydrolytic degradation during melt processing becomes kinetically significant when residual moisture exceeds 250 ppm. Incoming-lot control should include moisture determination by ISO 15512:2019 or Karl Fischer titration and melt flow verification by ISO 1133-1:2022 or ASTM D1238-20 at 210 °C with a 2.16 kg load.
Drying is the first process control point. PLA pellets should be dried in a desiccant-wheel hopper dryer to a residual moisture content below 250 ppm. A drying temperature of 60 °C for 4–6 h is sufficient for most lot histories; the inlet air dew point should be held at -40 °C or lower. Drying temperatures above 70 °C are contraindicated because pellet softening and bridging can occur at hopper discharge. Airflow should be maintained at approximately 3.5–4.0 m³/h per kilogram of pellet inventory to avoid moisture channeling. If the material has been stored in unsealed containers at relative humidity above 60% RH for more than 24 h, drying time should be extended to 8 h and moisture rechecked before extrusion.
Melt conditioning for FGF PLA-X3 follows a low-shear PLA temperature profile. The feed throat should be water-cooled to remain below 45 °C. Barrel zone set points may start at 180–200 °C in zone 1, 200–220 °C in zone 2, and 210–230 °C in zone 3, with a die adapter at 200–220 °C. Melt temperature measured by needle pyrometer should remain between 210 °C and 225 °C. Sustained melt temperatures above 240 °C accelerate random chain scission and lactide reformation; residence time above 230 °C should not exceed 10 min. Screw geometries with L/D ratios from 24:1 to 30:1 and compression ratios from 2.5:1 to 3.0:1 are typical for pellet-fed deposition heads. Deep mixing sections are generally unnecessary and can increase shear heating beyond the stable PLA viscosity window.
Deposition conditions should maintain bead-to-bead contact pressure without excessive die swell. Nozzle temperatures are typically held 5–10 °C below the die adapter set point to increase melt strength and reduce stringing. Build plate temperatures of 50–60 °C on polyimide tape, PEI, or glass with a PLA-compatible adhesion layer reduce first-layer peel. A heated chamber is not required for low-warpage PLA deposition; chamber gas temperatures above 30 °C may reduce heat removal from the printed bead and cause sag in thick sections. If an enclosure is used, exhaust air should be filtered and make-up air conditioned to avoid draughts that create asymmetric crystallization.
Production-scale FGF runs with PLA pellet feed show two recurrent failure modes. Pellet bridging in the feed throat occurs when throat temperature rises above 45 °C, creating a compacted plug that starves the screw. Screw surging occurs when hopper level drops below the metering throat or when pellet diameter varies by more than ±0.5 mm. Both conditions produce periodic radial banding in deposited beads and pressure oscillations measurable at the die. A consistent pellet size and a hopper agitator or mass-flow insert are standard corrective measures.
Interlayer fusion in PLA-X3 deposition is controlled not only by nozzle temperature but by the time available for polymer chain diffusion across the contact plane. In large-bead FGF deposition, the core of a 3.0 mm bead can remain above the PLA glass transition for sufficient time to permit partial bond formation; however, the outer skin quenched by ambient air may vitrify before the next layer contacts it. The result is a gradient in weld strength from bead core to bead wall. Weld strength as a fraction of bulk tensile strength is often lower in FGF parts than in injection-molded parts because interfaces are formed at near-atmospheric pressure and in the presence of microscopic surface roughness.
Process measures that improve interlayer strength include increasing nozzle temperature within the 210–225 °C melt window, reducing layer cooling air, maintaining a consistent bead overlap of 30–50% of nozzle diameter, and depositing on a heated build plate that slows initial quenching. Conversely, excessive melt temperature lowers viscosity to the point where bead shape control is lost, while excessive cooling air freezes surface layers and produces delamination at layer interfaces under tensile loading. The interlayer tensile strength of PLA class materials can drop by 20–40% relative to in-plane tensile strength when printed in the Z direction; the actual loss depends on nozzle diameter, chamber temperature, and print speed.
The primary difference between PLA-X3 and filament-grade PLA is physical form and melt history. Filament feedstock is melt-compounded, extruded, solidified, and re-melted in the deposition head. FGF PLA-X3 removes one melt-processing step and allows the deposition head to draw directly from granular feed. The consequence is higher practical output in large-orifice printing but reduced retraction sensitivity compared with filament-fed nozzles. Sharp corners and stop-start moves can leave local bead width variation because screw inertia and melt compressibility delay pressure response. The difference is process-dependent rather than material-dependent; the polymer itself remains a PLA-based composition with similar tensile modulus and HDT limits unless a filled or impact-modified grade is designated.
Against pelletized ABS, PLA-X3 processes at significantly lower barrel and bed temperatures and does not require a heated chamber in the same range used for ABS, which typically requires enclosure temperatures of 80–100 °C to control warpage. However, the service temperature under load is lower: unannealed PLA references generally exhibit a heat deflection temperature of 50–55 °C at 0.45 MPa by ISO 75-2:2013, whereas ABS references can reach 85–100 °C under the same stress. ABS also demonstrates greater ductility and notched-impact resistance; PLA is stiffer and stronger in tensile mode but fails at lower elongation. The choice between PLA-X3 and ABS pellets should therefore be driven by thermal load, impact requirements, and local exhaust capacity for ABS volatiles.
Within the PLA pellet class, the X3 denomination is a manufacturer-specific grade designation. Comparative data for X1 and X3 grades are not fully published in all regions. When a differentiation is claimed, it should be verified by comparing melt flow rate under ASTM D1238-20, notched impact by ISO 179-1:2010 or ASTM D256-18, and printed interlayer tensile strength by ISO 527-2:2012 using the same build orientation. Published data for this specific configuration are limited; therefore, statistical process-control data from the same machine and nozzle diameter are preferable to supplier data sheets.
The table below summarizes class-level values for PLA pellet feedstock, filament PLA, and pellet ABS. The PLA pellet column should not be read as a product-specific certificate; it is a process-selection reference.
| Property | PLA-X3 / PLA pellet class | Filament PLA class | Pellet ABS class | Standard method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.24–1.26 g/cm³ | 1.24–1.25 g/cm³ | 1.04–1.07 g/cm³ | ISO 1183-1:2019 |
| Melt flow rate | 8–15 g/10 min at 210 °C, 2.16 kg | 6–14 g/10 min at 210 °C, 2.16 kg | 5–20 g/10 min at 220 °C, 10.0 kg | ASTM D1238-20 |
| Tensile strength | 40–60 MPa | 45–65 MPa | 30–45 MPa | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| Tensile modulus | 3.0–3.6 GPa | 3.0–3.5 GPa | 1.8–2.5 GPa | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| Elongation at break | 3–8% | 3–7% | 10–30% | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| Notched impact | 2–5 kJ/m² | 2–5 kJ/m² | 15–30 kJ/m² | ISO 179-1:2010 |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 50–55 °C | 50–55 °C | 85–100 °C | ISO 75-2:2013 |
Moisture drift above 250 ppm in PLA feedstock produces ester hydrolysis during plastification, leading to molecular-weight reduction, lower melt viscosity, and intermittent nozzle pressure loss. The practical indicators are a decrease in extrusion torque at constant screw speed, an increase in stringing, and a dull or bubbled bead surface. In extreme cases, carbonized residue from degraded oligomers accumulates on the screw root and die land, causing black specks in the deposited bead. The corrective action is not to increase barrel temperature to restore flow, because elevated temperature accelerates hydrolysis and chain scission. The lot should be returned to a desiccant dryer at 60 °C with a dew point of -40 °C for 4–6 h, and the extrusion system should be purged with a dry, low-viscosity PLA purge grade before resuming production.
Lot-to-lot MFR variation can also destabilize FGF deposition. A shift of 2 g/10 min at 210 °C and 2.16 kg is generally enough to alter die pressure by several percent in a screw-driven head, particularly when nozzle diameter is below 2.0 mm. Incoming-lot testing should therefore combine moisture analysis, melt flow rate, and pellet bulk density. Bulk density variation above ±5% affects gravimetric hopper calibration and can produce feed-starved or over-fed conditions. If the deposition head is equipped with melt-pressure sensing, a record of die pressure against screw speed is the most direct process control for detecting lot changes.
The material is not recommended for food-contact or medical applications unless the specific grade is demonstrated to comply with the appropriate regional regulation, such as EU Regulation 10/2011, FDA 21 CFR 177, or ISO 10993 for medical devices. The use of regrind from printed waste is possible only when the regrind is dry, free of dust, and blended at no more than 20 wt% with virgin pellets; higher fractions may affect melt stability and printed surface quality. The addition of impact modifiers, fibers, or flame retardants is not covered by standard PLA-X3 processing recommendations and should be evaluated for screw wear, melt filtration, and interlayer adhesion before production use.
