| HS Code | 406009 |
| Brand | SIMOGREEN |
| Product Name | PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid |
| Material | Polylactic Acid (PLA) |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Diameter Tolerance | ±0.02 mm |
| Net Weight | 1 kg |
| Filament Length | Approximately 335 m |
| Spool Type | Plastic spool |
| Printing Temperature | 190-220 °C |
| Heated Bed Temperature | 50-60 °C |
| Printing Speed | 40-100 mm/s |
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ |
| Tensile Strength | 45 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 6% |
| Flexural Strength | 80 MPa |
| Melting Point | 160-180 °C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 60 °C |
| Biodegradable | Yes |
| Odor | Low |
| Storage | Cool, dry environment |
| Packaging | Vacuum-sealed with desiccant |
| Compatibility | FDM/FFF 3D printers |
As an accredited SIMOGREEN PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | SIMOGREEN PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid comes in a sealed 1 kg spool, moisture-barrier wrapped with branded labeling. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL freight container loaded with SIMOGREEN PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid, palletized and securely stowed for ocean transport. |
| Shipping | SIMOGREEN PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid is shipped as a non-hazardous, non-regulated solid polymer. No UN class, packing group, or marine pollutant designation applies. Store in a cool, dry area away from excessive heat and moisture. Use standard packaging; observe local regulations. Handle with care to avoid package damage. |
| Storage | Store SIMOGREEN PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, flames, and strong oxidizers. Keep sealed in original packaging with desiccant to prevent moisture absorption. Maintain 15–25°C and low humidity. Avoid prolonged UV exposure. Stack neatly to prevent deformation. Use within shelf life, reseal after use, and store away from incompatible materials. |
| Shelf Life | Stable for up to 24 months when stored unopened in a cool, dry place, away from moisture, heat, and sunlight. |
For extrusion of SIMOGREEN PLA into round filament for fused filament fabrication, pre-drying in a desiccant dryer at 80 °C for 4 h to 6 h until residual moisture falls below 250 ppm is required when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60 %. Single-screw extruders with L/D 24:1 to 30:1, screw compression ratio 2.5:1 to 3.5:1, and a screen pack of 60/80/100 mesh are used. Barrel profile from feed to metering is 165–180 °C, 175–190 °C, 185–200 °C, 190–205 °C; die temperature is held at 195–210 °C. Melt temperature measured at the die exit should not exceed 210 °C for more than 3 min because longer residence times initiate autocatalytic hydrolysis and monomer regeneration. Water bath temperature of 40–55 °C and air gap of 10–30 mm are maintained to control die swell and ovality during quenching. Multi-axis laser diameter gauges with ±0.01 mm resolution provide closed-loop feedback to the haul-off capstan. Commercial feedstock tolerance is held at ±0.03 mm for 1.75 mm filament and ±0.05 mm for 2.85 mm filament; spooling tension is maintained at 3–8 N to prevent ovality. Batch-to-batch melt flow rate variation can shift die pressure by 5–10 bar at constant screw speed, so melt flow rate should be checked under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 210 °C, 2.16 kg. Printed tensile bars at 200 °C nozzle and 60 °C bed are evaluated under ISO 527-2 or ASTM D638-14 to verify interlayer fusion for each lot. Vacuum venting or twin-screw side devolatilization is used only when regrind exceeds 15 wt%; otherwise, single-screw vented barrels lead to surging and diameter variation.
Representative downstream line settings for round filament production are summarized below.
| Parameter | 1.75 mm filament | 2.85 mm filament |
|---|---|---|
| Die opening | 1.8–2.0 mm | 3.0–3.5 mm |
| Melt temperature at die exit | 195–205 °C | 195–210 °C |
| Water bath temperature | 40–55 °C | 45–55 °C |
| Haul-off speed | 20–60 m/min | 10–25 m/min |
| Spooling tension | 3–6 N | 6–10 N |
| Closed-loop diameter tolerance | ±0.03 mm | ±0.05 mm |
Direct pellet extruders with screw diameters of 15–25 mm and L/D 20:1 to 25:1 replace filament with bulk PLA pellets. Throughput is not limited by shaft power but by melt homogeneity and backpressure at nozzle diameters from 0.8 mm to 3.0 mm. At high tool speeds, unmelted pellet cores produce pressure spikes and visible banding in thick printed walls. The processing window for PLA in these systems is narrow: melt temperature 190–215 °C at the nozzle, bed temperature 50–60 °C, and enclosed chamber temperature 35–50 °C. Because pellet-fed systems deposit large beads, heat is removed more slowly from the part; interlayer adhesion improves but overhangs sag when the chamber rises above 55 °C. Screw torque and melt pressure should be logged to detect viscosity shift. A nozzle temperature increase of 10 °C can reduce melt viscosity enough to cause uncontrolled drool and stringing. Nozzle openings of 0.4 mm or larger are preferred to reduce shear heating, while melt residence time above 210 °C must be kept short to avoid yellowing and embrittlement. Layer height in large-format fused granulate fabrication typically ranges from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm, and output can reach 5 kg/h; heat extraction through the top surface controls solidification rate. Published data for specific large-format PLA pellet extruders is limited; machine commissioning therefore includes thermal imaging of the printed wall to verify that surface temperature falls below 60 °C before the next layer is deposited. If melt flow rate shifts by 1–3 g/10 min between lots under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 210 °C, 2.16 kg, extruder speed must be recalibrated to maintain bead width tolerance.
Fiber-filled PLA compounds for conductive or structural filament are mixed on co-rotating twin-screw extruders with L/D 40:1 to 48:1 and a side-feeder placed at L/D 20:1 to 24:1. Short carbon fibre at 10–20 wt% raises melt viscosity and demands low-shear screw elements; aggressive kneading blocks generate shear heating that accelerates chain scission. Melt temperature measured at the die should remain 205–220 °C during strand pelletizing. Torque increases non-linearly as fibre loading exceeds 20 wt%, and strand breaks become frequent when die melt viscosity exceeds approximately 3000 Pa·s at 100 s⁻¹. For graphite-filled conductive PLA, percolation behaviour depends on platelet aspect ratio and dispersion history; volume resistivity can fall from 10¹² Ω·cm to 10³–10⁶ Ω·cm at loadings between 5–15 wt%, but published data for this specific configuration is limited because filler grade and dispersion history dominate. Downstream filament extrusion of these compounds requires screen packs of 200–325 mesh to remove fibre agglomerates, and die openings are enlarged 0.05–0.10 mm relative to unfilled PLA to compensate for die swell. Compounded pellets are characterized under ISO 527-2 for neat resin and ISO 527-5 for fibre-reinforced composites. Interlayer adhesion of filled PLA prints is lower than unfilled resin; a heated chamber at 45–55 °C and extrusion multiplier increases partially offset notch sensitivity. Uncoated iron or copper particles that catalyse hydrolytic degradation should be avoided at processing temperatures above 200 °C. Pre-drying at 80 °C for 4 h is required for filled pellets because carbon fibres and graphite absorb moisture at relative humidity above 50 %.
Lost-PLA investment casting consumes printed patterns that are fully embedded in ceramic shell. The pattern must burn out during shell preheating cycles that often ramp to 700–900 °C. PLA decomposes through initial chain scission below 300 °C to lactide and aldehydes, then oxidative combustion between 350–450 °C. Residual ash is a critical variable; unfilled high-purity PLA grades can leave low ash levels, but published data for specific cast patterns is limited, so foundries verify by thermogravimetric analysis under ASTM E1131-20 before production. Inert pigments and mineral fillers should be excluded from shell investment casting patterns to reduce ceramic shell defects. Shell crack risk increases when thermal expansion of the pattern exceeds that of the ceramic shell before burnout. Pattern wall thickness should be kept below 4 mm to reduce internal pressure during thermal expansion. Foundry trials often use a preliminary burn-out step at 250–300 °C for 1–2 h before ramping to full shell firing; absence of this step can cause shell fracture. Published data for PLA patterns in specific ceramic shell systems is limited; foundries validate shell permeability and dewaxing efficiency case by case. SIMOGREEN PLA filament for lost-PLA work should be printed with zero infill or thin walls to minimize thermal expansion forces. Residual monomer content below 0.3 wt% is less critical here than in packaging because the pattern is incinerated, but high ash and pigment levels should be verified by thermogravimetric analysis before lot release.
PLA fixtures and positioning jigs used in electronics assembly are exposed to temperatures that can exceed the 55–60 °C heat deflection temperature of amorphous PLA measured under ISO 75-2 at 0.45 MPa. This creates a post-print annealing step in forced-air or circulating ovens at 80–100 °C for 20–60 min. Annealing increases crystallinity and shifts dimensions anisotropically. Typical measured shrinkage after annealing is 0.3–0.8 % in the build plane and 0.5–1.2 % through thickness depending on infill density and print orientation, so CAD models require scaling factors applied per axis. The process window is narrow because oven temperature above 110 °C causes warping and surface buckling, while below 80 °C no measurable heat resistance gain occurs. Fixtures intended for solder reflow are outside the operational boundary of PLA; continuous exposure above 120 °C causes permanent deformation. Print parameters matter: solid shells with 4–6 perimeters and infill below 30 % permit more uniform crystallization than dense infills but reduce stiffness. Annealed PLA fixtures used for drilling guides or part holding should be validated with ISO 527-2 samples printed flat, upright, and edgewise to quantify orientation-dependent strength loss, which can exceed 25 % after annealing at the upper temperature limit. Because SIMOGREEN PLA is extrusion-grade resin, pellet or filament moisture should be below 200 ppm before printing; wet material will foam during annealing and produce surface defects. Electrical assembly fixtures require RoHS compliance on the final assembly; unfilled SIMOGREEN PLA does not typically contain Sb, Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr(VI), PBB or PBDE above the maximum concentration values in Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II, but verification is lot-specific when colour masterbatches or metallic coatings are added.
Dental model bases and surgical planning prints consume unfilled PLA filament at low print speeds where dimensional fidelity, low odour, and ease of trimming are prioritized; printed parts are not implantable and require no ISO 10993-1 evaluation for intact skin contact beyond standard workplace hygiene.
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The product designated SIMOGREEN PLA 3D Printing Extrusion Polylactic Acid is an unfilled or lightly modified polylactic acid feedstock produced for melt extrusion of fused filament fabrication consumables. The specific grade suffix, pellet geometry, additive package, and lot-specific melt mass-flow rate are governed by the manufacturer certificate of analysis; published data for this exact trade-name configuration is limited. Processing guidance presented in this technical review therefore uses representative data for unfilled PLA extrusion grades wherever a SIMOGREEN lot-specific value is not available. No lot-specific conclusion should be transferred from these ranges without verification against the supplier document.
PLA degrades through hydrolysis, thermal random chain scission, and shear-induced chain breakage. The extruder temperature profile should keep the melt between 185 °C and 210 °C, with adapter melt temperature typically controlled at 200 °C ± 5 °C. Residence time above 230 °C should be limited to less than 5 min because molecular weight loss accelerates and lactide monomer reformation can increase. The glass transition of PLA is generally observed near 55–60 °C by ISO 11357-2:2020, and the cold crystallization peak commonly appears between 100 °C and 120 °C, depending on D-lactide content and nucleation. Optical purity below approximately 98% L-lactide lowers crystallization rate and can reduce heat deflection after printing. The zero-shear viscosity of an unfilled extrusion PLA at 200 °C is generally within 500–2000 Pa·s, and the shear viscosity at 100 s-1 commonly falls to 100–300 Pa·s. A melt temperature increase of 10 °C can lower viscosity by roughly 20–35%, so die temperature variation is observed on the filament diameter before it is observed at the melt pump.
The optical purity of lactide units controls crystallization kinetics and therefore the annealing response of the final printed part. PLA grades with less than 96% L-lactide crystallize more slowly and may not develop measurable crystallinity within normal printed cooling times. Conversely, nucleated extrusion grades can crystallize more readily, improving dimensional stability but increasing haze. The melting peak by ISO 11357-3:2018 usually falls within 150–165 °C for annealed or injection-molded PLA, while the cold crystallization exotherm often appears in the first heat at 100–120 °C for rapidly cooled extrudate. These thermal transitions must be known before setting the water bath temperature and the annealing oven profile.
Melt pressure drop of more than 20% at constant screw speed is an early equipment indicator of uncontrolled hydrolysis or feed starvation. Die drool, surface shark-skin, and filament breakage differ in origin: drool often reflects additive or oligomer migration at the die lip, while breakage is more commonly due to low melt strength or moisture-induced molecular weight loss. The processing window is narrow because PLA has relatively low melt strength and a sharp temperature-viscosity response; small deviations at the die are not absorbed by draw-down if the filament is quenched too slowly.
In continuous filament production, a single-screw extruder with 24:1 to 30:1 L/D and a barrier screw with distributive mixing capacity is typically required. Barrel set points are commonly ramped from 170 °C at the feed throat to 200 °C in the metering zone, with die temperature held at 195 °C to 205 °C. Screw speed and take-up speed must be synchronized with a dual-axis laser diameter gauge; tension fluctuations above ±0.05 N are known to produce ovality drift. Melt filtration through a 74 µm or 200 mesh stainless steel screen pack reduces gel particles and unmelts. Vacuum venting at -0.06 MPa to -0.09 MPa is recommended for warehouse-aged pellets, although vent flooding may occur if the feed moisture exceeds 0.1 wt%. Co-rotating twin-screw compounding upstream of pelletization, when used for colorant or nucleator dispersion, typically employs 40:1 L/D with side-feeding and atmospheric venting.
When the line is run at high throughput, the screw temperature profile may need to be lowered in the feed zone to prevent pellets from sticking and bridging. A grooved feed section or forced feed hopper is unnecessary for PLA but may be used if the pellet geometry is irregular. The extrudate should be quenched in a water bath held at 30–50 °C; water colder than 20 °C can increase haze and reduce dimensional stability. Air sizing after the bath is preferred because PLA is hydrophilic and surface moisture on the filament must be removed before winding. An air wipe after the water bath is standard; residual water left on the filament can later cause hydrolysis at the nozzle during printing.
Poly(lactic acid) pellets absorb moisture from humid air. Above 60% RH, unsealed material can exceed 0.25 wt% moisture within 24 h at 23 °C; equilibrium sorption under extended exposure can approach 0.5–1.0 wt%. Pre-drying in a desiccant dryer with dew point at or below -40 °C is mandatory, typically 4 h at 80 °C. Drying air must reach the pellet core; bed depth greater than 25 cm may require longer residence time. Dried material should not remain open to ambient air for more than 30 min before entering the feed throat. A hopper dryer or nitrogen purge at 5–10 L/min maintains low moisture during extended runs. Moisture gain can be tracked by ISO 62:2008 or ASTM D7191-18, depending on laboratory configuration. Failure to dry is observed on the line as bubbles or voids in the extrudate, die drool, and increased melt index under ISO 1133-1:2022 caused by hydrolytic chain scission.
Desiccant dryer regeneration must keep the drying media at the manufacturer-specific regeneration temperature; otherwise dew point will rise during the run. Return-air temperature and moisture readings should be logged. In humid climates, hopper loading should be automated and purged with dry air because manual top-up exposes dried pellets to ambient moisture. A moisture analyzer is preferred over halogen loss methods for PLA because volatile lactide and other low-molecular-weight species can interfere with loss-on-drying readings. The acceptance threshold for dried pellets is 0.02–0.04 wt% moisture by ASTM D7191-18 or equivalent, not simply the loss-on-drying value.
The primary differences from ABS and PETG are in density, stiffness, elongation, heat deflection, and melt processing temperature. The table below presents representative unfilled ranges for general materials; it is not a lot-specific substitute for the SIMOGREEN certificate.
| Property | Extrusion-grade PLA | ABS | PETG | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.23–1.25 g/cm³ | 1.03–1.07 g/cm³ | 1.26–1.28 g/cm³ | ISO 1183-1:2019 |
| Tensile yield stress | 45–65 MPa | 35–45 MPa | 48–53 MPa | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| Tensile modulus | 3.0–3.6 GPa | 2.0–2.6 GPa | 2.0–2.4 GPa | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| Elongation at break | 2–10% | 10–30% | 12–25% | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 50–60 °C | 90–100 °C | 65–75 °C | ISO 75-2:2020 |
Compared with injection-molding PLA, the extrusion grade targeted here is expected to have a lower melt mass-flow rate and a broader molecular weight distribution to improve melt strength during filament stretching. MFI alone does not capture the difference; shear rheometry at 100 s-1 and 200 °C should be compared for die swell and melt tension. The resin differs from PETG in lower elongation at break and lower impact toughness; it differs from ABS in lower continuous-use temperature and greater susceptibility to hydrolysis. These differences are measurable by ISO 527-2:2012 tensile tests and ISO 75-2:2020 heat deflection tests after conditioning per ISO 291:2008.
The differences among PLA, ABS, and PETG become operationally significant on unheated build plates. PLA has lower shrinkage than ABS and is less prone to warping, but it may soften if the printer enclosure exceeds 45 °C. PETG offers better interlayer adhesion than PLA but can tear the filament surface on hard drive gears. These effects are not merely material properties; they are observed on direct-drive and Bowden extruders with spring-loaded idler tension. A release compound or bed adhesive changes adhesion, and comparisons should be run on the same printer geometry and calibration. Published data for this specific SIMOGREEN configuration is limited, making instrumented extrusion trials more reliable than generic datasheet comparisons.
After the die, quenching and size control determine whether the extrudate can be converted into 1.75 mm or 2.85 mm filament. Inline dual-axis laser micrometers are typically configured with control limits of ±0.03 mm for diameter and ±0.02 mm for ovality, although supplier acceptance criteria may be broader. Winding tension must be kept below the elastic limit of the solid filament; for PLA filament at 1.75 mm diameter, tension settings of 0.5–1.5 N are typical depending on line speed. Filament for FFF is conditioned at 23 °C and 50% RH per ISO 291:2008 before tensile testing. Printing trials on a direct-drive extruder with a 0.4 mm nozzle are commonly run at 195–215 °C nozzle temperature and 20–60 °C bed temperature. Bed adhesion and warping depend on nucleating agents, pigments, and first-layer calibration, not solely on the base resin.
At the filament producer level, the primary test is not printed part strength but filament roundness and consistent melt flow. A melt index swing from 6 g/10 min to 8 g/10 min can change die swell and require a take-up speed adjustment of several percent. In practice, production lines use closed-loop control on dual-axis diameter rather than fixed screw speed; the control system adjusts take-up or extruder speed within limits. Melt pumps remove some of this variance but must be operated with a controlled pressure drop. If the melt pump is not used, take-up speed controls diameter and screw speed controls throughput; cross-coupling between the two loops is the main source of process oscillation at line speeds above 30 m/min.
If higher heat deflection is required, PLA parts can be annealed at 80–110 °C for 30–60 min in a forced-air oven; dimensional shrinkage of up to 1–2% may occur and must be compensated in the tool path. This operation is sensitive to wall thickness and is performed only if the filament is dimensionally stable. The effects are measured by ISO 75-2:2020 HDT and ISO 527-2:2012 tensile properties before and after annealing.
Before changing from ABS, polycarbonate, or PETG to PLA, the barrel must be purged with a dedicated low-viscosity purge or with the PLA resin itself until the die output is free of contamination. Residual polycarbonate is particularly problematic because its processing temperature exceeds PLA degradation limits; it solidifies at PLA set points and can cause pressure spikes or black specks. Residual ABS can generate styrene vapor and degrade at the initial high-temperature purge set point; the correct procedure is to purge at the high-temperature material’s set point, then lower to PLA temperatures while continuing to feed PLA. The screw and barrel should be inspected for carbon accumulation after every 200 h of continuous PLA processing, because long residence times at high temperature can form char and gels. Batch-to-batch variance in melt flow index should be controlled within ±1 g/10 min for stable filament diameter; larger deviations require adjustment of extruder screw speed, take-up speed, or both.
For a formulation with colorants, the supplier should disclose whether the colorant is a masterbatch based on PLA or a carrier polymer. Non-PLA carriers can create incompatible microphases and reduce weld-line strength in printed parts. If the grade is filled or impact-modified, the SDS and technical data sheet must state the filler level because fumed silica, talc, or impact modifiers change melt viscosity, die swell, and filament stiffness. Processors should not assume that a generic PLA printing parameter set transfers to a compounded variant; lot-specific extrusion data, including melt index and differential scanning calorimetry, should be reviewed before production.
Regulatory status is formulation-dependent. PLA base resin produced from renewable feedstocks is generally within the scope of REACH and is exempt from many RoHS restricted substances; however, colorants, nucleating agents, and stabilizers can introduce restricted heavy metals or phthalates. For food-contact applications, the supplier should provide a written compliance statement referencing EU 10/2011, FDA 21 CFR 175.300, or applicable migration testing under EN 1186-1, because no explicit food-contact status can be assigned to the SIMOGREEN grade without lot-specific documentation. RoHS assessment should reference 2011/65/EU and its amendment (EU) 2015/863. No statement in this technical review replaces the supplier SDS or certificate of conformance.
This material should not be processed at melt temperatures above 230 °C for sustained periods, and it is not suitable for continuous service in hot-water or steam environments because bulk hydrolysis can cause molecular weight loss and embrittlement. Strong alkalis, amines, and certain metal catalysts should be excluded from the formulation because they accelerate polyester degradation. If the end-use requires impact strength approaching ABS or PETG, blending or co-extrusion with a toughening agent may be required; however, that modifies melt viscosity and printability. Published data for this specific SIMOGREEN configuration is limited, and the operational boundaries described here must be verified against the supplier lot certificate before production qualification.
