# 3D Printing > 3D Printer Parts, Filament & Materials >  Conductive filaments from ABS/PLA and graphene composites

## cverni13

Hi. I am new to this forum but I work for a startup company that focuses on creating conductive 3d printing filaments from various renewable sources. Currently we are looking to design a new polymer-based filament. Any suggestions or requests about our production capabilities are welcome and appreciated, especially if a specific product is desired. We are very flexible in terms of the diversity of products that can be made.

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## anannop

Do you have a website? And your topic name is ABS/PLA and graphene composite, is it available now ?

Thanks,

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## jfkansas

http://www.3dxtech.com/ this company has some and will probably be a competitor to the original poster.

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## cverni13

Our website is http://zpolymers.com/. The ABS/PLA and graphene composites are currently in development and should be available within a few months

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## curious aardvark

conductive pla would be good. 
In black for the project I need it for :-) 
I don't care where it comes from. links anyone ?

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## cverni13

curious aardvark:
The link for Zzyzx Polymers is http://zpolymers.com/. Currently we are looking at optimizing conductive composites from PLA/graphene components. Is there a specific product or project that you would need the filament for? Perhaps we can work something out together.

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## jfkansas

So enlighten me, what does conductivity do and when would it be used? What types of products?

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## Wolfie

@OP, I suggest you read my comments here:
http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...te-PLA-and-ABS

A conductive copper based filament that could be soldered to would be highly desirable, especially if it could be produced to have a low resistance factor.

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## GOC

> @OP, I suggest you read my comments here:
> http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.p...te-PLA-and-ABS
> 
> A conductive copper based filament that could be soldered to would be highly desirable, especially if it could be produced to have a low resistance factor.


-    I concur; if you guys could develop a conductive binder for a solderable element like copper particles you could have a real award winning product on your hands.

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## cverni13

We will be working on the conductive ABS/copper filament at Zzyzx Polymers in the near future. Would anyone like to be notified as to its progress when it becomes available?

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## Wolfie

> We will be working on the conductive ABS/copper filament at Zzyzx Polymers in the near future. *Would anyone like to be notified as to its progress when it becomes available?*


Hell yes!  The entire community I suspect would love to know  :Smile: 

I would love to as well.  And if you need someone to alpha/beta test it, well drop me a pm and we can swap some contact info.

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## GOC

> We will be working on the conductive ABS/copper filament at Zzyzx Polymers in the near future. Would anyone like to be notified as to its progress when it becomes available?


-    Count me in as well; I'm all about testing too, so if you get some beta/alpha samples just let me know and I'll whip up some circuits to give it a full benchmark & report. Either way you can put me down for a spool whenever its available, just reply to this thread or send me a PM.

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## cverni13

Great! I will keep you all posted. Would anyone be interested in purchasing the ABS/graphene or PLA/graphene filaments that we will also be producing?

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## GOC

> Great! I will keep you all posted. Would anyone be interested in purchasing the ABS/graphene or PLA/graphene filaments that we will also be producing?


-    Whats the conductivity/resistance rating? (ie: 100 ohm per sq cm)
-    So far the resistance has been too high in a lot of the 'conductive' filaments out there for any of my practical applications

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## cverni13

I will get back to you on that.

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## Wolfie

> Great! I will keep you all posted. Would anyone be interested in purchasing the ABS/graphene or PLA/graphene filaments that we will also be producing?





> -    Whats the conductivity/resistance rating? (ie: 100 ohm per sq cm)
> -    So far the resistance has been too high in a lot of the 'conductive' filaments out there for any of my practical applications


I am in the same boat.  In researching a printer, I had dug into the conductive filaments and quickly found their resistance was way too high for any serious use other than static shielding.  We need signal level lines that are capable of carrying low voltages at least a reasonable distance (feet, not inches).  A dream would be able to carry audio line level signals (think headsets, speakers and microphones) as well as transducers in toys or miniature figures (dioramas).  You get that done and you open up 3D printing to whole new industries that are currently resigned to simply making the shells of products and still have to wire them with traditional components.  And you know where this leads don't you?  Printable personal electronics.  You want a market, well, there is one.

Another (more domestic) example would be in a train diorama where there is a conductor at a crossing holding a lantern.  We could get a pixie bulb or white led soldered in the lantern in his hand, but we need a way to get the power through his body to his feet where it could be powered from below.  Perfect job for some conductive material and 3D printing.  We need soldering pads in the lamp and a conductive low resistance path through his body to his feet, again with solder pads to connect wires to.  Pull that off, and I bet you get a lot of friends in the model train community as well as the military diorama community  :Smile: 

Even though the 3D printing genre has been around for a number of years, as a technology, its barely out of its crib.  Speed, accuracy and material selections are rife with opportunity to someone with the skill and the background to bring something to market.

And, BTW, I wasn't kidding about the desire for a tritium laced filament in the other thread.

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## GOC

> ...And, BTW, I wasn't kidding about the desire for a tritium laced filament in the other thread.


-    Very intriguing, but that would be one expensive roll of filament. Lots of* regulations, precautions, & dangers* with tritium.

-    *To any chemists out there:* Would tritium infused filament release any radioactivity during the high temperatures of the extrusion process?

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## anannop

> We will be working on the conductive ABS/copper filament at Zzyzx Polymers in the near future. Would anyone like to be notified as to its progress when it becomes available?


    Is it possible to add a newsletter on your website ?

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## Wolfie

> -    Very intriguing, but that would be one expensive roll of filament. Lots of* regulations, precautions, & dangers* with tritium.
> 
> -    *To any chemists out there:* Would tritium infused filament release any radioactivity during the high temperatures of the extrusion process?


Yea, lots of regulations.  And hazards.  :Frown: 

But...
http://www.banggood.com/5x100mm-Trit...FQKTaQoda0oA7w
http://www.tawatec.com/
http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/style/d...-keychains.asp
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sho...and-rare-items
http://www.truglo.com/firearms-handg...gun-sights.asp

So, people are using the stuff in commercial products.

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## LambdaFF

Hi, cverny I would be interested too to be kept in the loop of whatever conductive filament you come up with. Solderable would be insanely interesting but high conductivity would be a great start.

@Wolfie : tritium is mostly dangerous when gaseous (radioactive stuff in your lungs is a definite no go). The problem is also that tritium by itself is not light-emitting. It is the gamma rays hitting phosphorus that actually emit light. So you need a process that ensures the proper amount of both in close vicinity. I'm guessing filament containing tritium is not for tommorrow... on sale. With desktop filament extruders however, nothing stops you from experimenting. Buy a vial or too and drop them in the vat when extruding filament. Don't misunderstand me though : I still think it is a very bad and very dangerous idea to try at home.

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## Wolfie

Yea, no thanks.  I am not stupid enough to bust open a vial of tritium on purpose O_o.  Nuka-Cola Quantum anyone  :Smile: 

I was just hoping that it would be possible to lace it into the ABS/PLA in such a way as to make it reasonably safe (even if a ventilation hood would be required).  Hey, a fella can dream can't he?  That sort of dreaming started this whole industry in the first place.  Anyway, thought that the possibility of adding it to an existing glow-in-the-dark formula could be achieved safely by someone who has the skills, equipment and knowledge to do it.  I mean, someone somewhere is putting that stuff in the vials, I presume reasonably safely.

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## GOC

> ...I mean, someone somewhere is putting that stuff in the vials, I presume reasonably safely.


-    It's gaseous form (_which is a bit safer than its liquid form_) is used in the glow stick vials. The glow is a reaction with a phosphor element usually coated on the vial surface.

-    *Chemist Question*: Does liquid or powered based tritium react to phosphor in the same manner as its gaseous cousin?

>> Tritium Handling Precautions <<

https://www.orau.org/PTP/PTP%20Libra...c/hdbk1129.pdf

http://www.brown.edu/Administration/...ic/Tritium.pdf

>>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<<

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## LambdaFF

> - - *Chemist Question*: Does liquid or powered based tritium react to phosphor in the same manner as its gaseous cousin?


Well, this charts suggests that for liquid or solid hydrogen, you'd better suit up 'cause it's gonna be a cold day.  ;-)   I'm afraid we'll have to look elsewhere.

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## wenganxiang

It would be good if you add fluorescent powder. I want to print a luminous model.

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