ThermaX PEI Filament (ULTEM™ 9085)

3DXTECH manufactures the ultra-performance ThermaX PEI 3D printing filament using ULTEM 9085 PEI (polyether imide) resin from Sabic. Filaments made from ULTEM 9085 resin offer the ability to create parts with excellent properties at elevated temperatures due to a high glass transition temperature (Tg) of 186°C.

PEI is an amorphous, high-performance polymer which combines excellent thermal properties, exceptional dimensional stability, inherent flame

Benefits of PEI 9085 Include:

• High thermal properties, with a Tg of 186°C
• Inherently flame-resistant with low smoke evolution and low smoke toxicity
• Long-term hydrolytic stability
• Excellent dimensional stability, low heat creep sensitivity, and a very low, uniform coefficient of thermal expansion create highly reproducible part-to-part dimensions
• Exceptional strength and modulus, even at elevated temperatures
• Good resistance to a broad range of chemicals, include automotive fluids, fully halogenated hydrocarbons, alcohols, and aqueous solutions
• Stable dielectric constant and dissipation factor over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies

Typical Applications of ULTEM 9085 PEI:

Aerospace:

The excellent balance of flame retardancy, low smoke emission, and low smoke toxicity of ULTEM 9085 filament makes it an excellent candidate for aerospace and aircraft applications. ULTEM 9085 meets FAR 25.853 and OSU 65/65 with low toxicity, smoke, and flame evolution. Ultem resins are found in applications such as personal service units, oxygen panels and components, ventilation system components, connectors, cable ducts, latches, hinges, food tray containers, door handles, and interior cladding parts.

Automotive & Transportation:

ULTEM filament resins provide automotive manufacturers with a high performance, chemically resistant, thermally-stable, cost-effective alternative to metal that is strong enough to replace steel in some applications yet light enough to replace aluminum in others. For applications like transmission components, throttle bodies, ignition components, sensors, and thermostat housings.

Electronics:

ULTEM resin may be an excellent material choice for today’s demanding electrical applications, including connectors, MCB components like housings, shafts and levers, hard disk drive internals, FOUPs, BiTS, PCBs, MCCB internals, Plenum devices, LCD projector internals, fuel cell components, and many other applications.

Filament Specifications:

1.75mm +/- 0.05mm in diameter

Recommended Print Settings:

• Extruder: 350-380°C
• Bed Temp: 140-160°C
• Bed Prep: Nano Polymer Adhesive or 3DXTECH Polyimide Tape gives us the best results
• Other: No cooling fan with print speeds of 16mm/s as a starting point
• Heated Chamber: Recommended, a chamber helps reduce warping and improves layer adhesion
• Supports: ThermaX HTS High-Temp Support works ideal for complex, high-temp materials just like this.
• Drying Instructions: 120°C for 4 hours.

Annealing 3D Printed Parts:

If needed, parts printed using ULTEM may be annealed in a hot-air oven to reduce any printed-in stresses which may be present in the part. Printed-in stresses may occur in any plastic and may result in lower than expected mechanical properties. If this is an issue with your part, you can follow the simple 5-step ramp up/down process for annealing the ULTEM parts.

• Step 1: Place printed parts in cool, room-temp oven.
• Step 2. Set temp to 250°F and allow to stabilize for 1 hour.
• Step 3: After 1 hour at 250°F, increase oven temp to 300°F and allow to stabilize 1 additional hour.
• Step 4: After 1 hour at 300°F, reduce heat back to 200°F and allow to stabilize for 30 minutes.
• Step 5: After 30 minutes, turn off oven heat and allow printed parts to return to room temp inside the oven as it cools.

Technical Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets can be located here.

3DXTECH manufactures this filament using ULTEM™ 9085 PEI resin.