3D printers for printing with PLA plastic

PLA (polylactide)

— a very popular material for 3D printing, competing in this area with ABS, although it differs markedly in properties.

One of the key advantages of PLA is its “naturalness” and environmental friendliness: it is made from vegetable raw materials (mainly corn and sugar cane), is biodegradable and safe when heated. In addition, this type of thermoplastic has a relatively low melting point and practically does not stick to the printing table. On the other hand, the downside of the mentioned environmental friendliness is a limited service life: PLA plastic decomposes rather quickly (from several weeks to several years, depending on the variety). Other notable drawbacks are the price (almost twice as high as ABS) and fragility (which makes printing somewhat difficult — a strongly bent filament breaks easily). It is also worth bearing in mind that this type of plastic does not dissolve in acetone and requires other solvents.