Biome Bioplastics Unveils Biome3D Biodegradable 3D Printer Filaments

As the 3D printing market continues its expansion, and environmentalists begin turning their attention to the possible global consequences of an increase in ABS and even PLA use, there will be a continued drive to make 3D printing greener. There is no doubt that, although additive manufacturing produces far less waste than subtractive manufacturing, a large portion of the hobbyist space using desktop 3D printers, is throwing away a ton of plastics. Not every 3D print turns out the way you want it too, thus this leaves a decent amount of worthless plastic lying around.

One of the UK’s leading developers of intelligent, natural plastics, Biome Bioplastics, is trying to change all this. Today at the TCT Show +personalize they’ve unveiled their new 3D printer filament called Biome3D. Biome3D, a biodegradable plastic, was developed in partnership with a company called 3Dom Filaments. The filament has superior qualities and characteristics to even some of the more popular, harsher thermoplastics on the market today.

“The future of bioplastics lies in demonstrating that plant-based materials can outperform their traditional, oil-based counterparts,” explained Sally Morley, Sales Director at Biome Bioplastics. “Our new material for the 3D printing market exemplifies that philosophy. Biome3D combines the best processing qualities with the best product finish; it also happens to be made from natural, renewable resources.”

Not only does the print quality of an object fabricated with Biome3D filament excel in several areas, offering superior silk-like surface finishes, reduced brittleness, and increased flexibility, but it also offers several key printing benefits which include:

• Minimal shrinkage
• No cracking
• Less warping
• Excellent detail and greater range of geometries
• Prints well at high speeds
• No odor

Biome3D comes in 1kg spools, both in 1.75mm and 3mm diameters. A typical 1.75mm spool will include approximately 340m of filament, while the 3mm spool will include around 114m. Currently, the company offers seven different color options, including white, black, red, yellow, blue, green and pink. They are also willing to create custom colors for bulk orders.

The recommended nozzle temperature for extrusion is between 180–225°C, and the nozzle should never exceed 235°C.  Biome Bioplastics is excited to be able to enter the 3D printing space in this way.  The company has had a history of offering high performance, plant-based plastics for a variety of applications in areas including packaging, food services, electronics and cosmetics.

Let us know if you have purchased this bioplastic filament, and feel free to post images of your prints in the Biome3D filament forum thread on 3DPB.com. Below is a quick promo video about the filament.