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How to Make 3D Printer Filament from Plastic Bottles?

how to make 3d printer filament from plastic bottles

Before moving to how to make 3D printer filament from plastic bottles, we should know about pet and pet filament. Well, PET is an abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate. It is a kind of plastic or polymer that can be reused and recycled many times into anything like pet containers, pet packing bags, etc. Pet filament is the filament used in pet 3d printing printers. People make filaments from plastic bottles to save the environment and money. Also, these pet filaments work effectively compared to other printing filaments in the printing market.

To make 3D printer filament from plastic bottles you can take or collect the pet containers or bottles from any garbage yard. Make sure to remove lids or caps from the plastic or pet bottles before heating them. After collecting, squeeze or crush them forcibly to reduce their size. You will require tools like scissors and a lighter to complete the process.

Later, heat or burn them up with a lighter to make them fluid or rope-like in size. Make sure to put aside those Pet plastic materials to cool down for 1 to 2 hours. Cut the plastic bottles with scissors to make them smaller in size. Boil them at high temperatures for 3 to 5 hours. Then fix the PET plastics into 3d printer filament extruders. Experiment with it at various 3d printer nozzle-size and check the temperatures of the 3d printing printers, if it works well, you can use it. Overall, your pet 3d printing printer filament is ready to try. PET 3d printing is best to use plastic effectively.

How to recycle plastic into 3d printer filament quickly?

how to make 3d printer filament from plastic bottles

There is no quick way but actually, but this process is time-consuming to recycle plastic into 3d printer filament. No one can say it will surely work because its working depends on what plastic or polymer material you have used or how you have produced it. This process of recycling is good because it is eco-friendly and saves you money as well. This recycling of plastic into a 3d printer filament process requires you to do cutting, melting, and cooling of PET plastic material so that you can get a smooth pet 3d printing printer filament. Do not forget to remove the cap of the containers and bottles or any other plastic material you use.

Make sure your pet’s plastic bottles are clean and dust-free before using them because quality matters to get a long smooth rope-like thread that can pass through the printer’s heated beds or ends. No doubt that this filament will not work as fluently as ABS 3d printer filament, PLA 3d printer filament, and Nylon 3d printer filament. After all, these filaments’ body quality is best in terms of toughness or rigidity. While in recycled Pet 3d printer filament the toughness or rigidity lack because it is used again and again. Still, you can use recycled Pet 3d printer filament for a short time because durability depends on the material used. 

FAQs

1. Turning plastic bottles into 3d printer filament is easy?

No doubt, turning plastic bottles into 3d printer filament is moderate work but a good way to reuse and recycle plastic PET bottles or containers into a useful 3d printer filament. All you have to do is take a 30 to 50 PET container or bottle and cut them into long rope-like bands using an easy fixture with a scissor or cutter. After this just stretch, this rope-like thread through a narrow-modified pet 3D printer heated bed or end and you will get the 3d printer filament to use out of plastics.

2. Can you make or produce a 3D printer filament from plastic containers or bottles?

Yes, it is possible to make a 3D printer filament from plastic bottles. All you need is plastic things like bottles or containers to melt and bend into thread-like strips. After that cool it down so that it can enter the 3d printing printer’s heated bed or corner or end.