Essentium and Braskem enter sustainable materials partnership

Essentium, Inc., a worldwide leader in industrial additive manufacturing, has partnered with Braskem, one of the largest polyolefins producers in the Americas and a market leader and pioneer producer of biopolymers on an industrial scale, to offer manufacturers a fully integrated AM machine and materials solution. Combining Essentium’s High-Speed Extrusion (HSETM) 280i HT 3D printer with Braskem’s polyolefin materials is intended to unlock affordable, sustainable, and rapid volume production of 3D printed thermoplastic components.

Braskem offers a unique line of recycled materials specifically formulated for additive manufacturing solutions. Sourced primarily from recycled bottle caps, their recycled filaments come in both unfilled and carbon fiber-filled versions. The FL605R-CF carbon fiber-filled formulation utilizes both recycled bottle caps as well as 100% recycled carbon fiber for additional strength and durability. These environmentally friendly filaments offer differentiated material properties such as low density, as well as water, chemical, and impact resistance – making them an attractive material for many 3D printing applications across industries.

Together Braskem and Essentium will be able to further unlock the possibilities of these materials by leveraging the advanced functionality of the Essentium HSE 280i, the first truly independent dual extrusion system (IDEX) providing an open platform with precision control over printing conditions and high printing speeds – enabling the rapid production of parts with repeatable results.

“Our partnership with Essentium is a huge win for manufacturers worldwide. The fact that Essentium offers a high-speed, open platform means that manufacturers can now benefit from sustainable and responsible material options that are also extremely affordable. Together with Essentium, we are democratizing 3D printing and providing a competitive option to more industries,” said Jason Vagnozzi, Global Commercial Director of Additive Manufacturing at Braksem.

“With Braskem, we have a true partner who shares our commitment to developing sustainable solutions to accelerate industrial-scale additive manufacturing. Polyolefins are ideal for AM due to their recyclability, impact strength, chemical resistance, and durability. This makes them a great choice for automotive, aerospace, biomedical, and packaging applications. Our partnership with Braskem will empower manufacturers with integrated solutions as AM moves towards prime time in their industries,” said Blake Teipel, CEO of Essentium.