Review on Premium PLA 3D Printer Filament 1: Ultimate Print Performance and Precision by Will Ridpath

I've been printing with standard PLA for a while and I'd like to broaden my horizons by trying different materials. I saw this carbon fiber PLA and thought it would be an interesting test. I made the tool holder from the photos with my usual PLA settings (20mm/s for the first layer, 45 for the perimeter, 55 for the infill and 35 for the solid layers) on a machine with a direct drive extruder and an all-metal -Hot end. Layer height 0.2mm with 0.4mm nozzle and 0.5mm extrusion width. I also cut it into 2 perimeters, 3 bottom layers, 4 top layers and 10% fill. The layer temperature I used was 50°C for the first layer and 45°C for the rest on a borosilicate glass plate with glue stick applied. Adhesion to the bed was excellent without requiring too much effort to remove the finished print. Look at the photo how well the first layer fits. For the extruder, I used 240°C, which would normally be very high, but I first tried printing with a hardened steel nozzle, which requires more heat due to lower thermal conductivity. The steel nozzle didn't print, but it wasn't the filament, it was the nozzle. After switching to a brass nozzle, the filament printed fine, just like regular high quality PLA. The finish is a very flat black, almost gray in my opinion, due to the carbon fiber, and the look and finish feels almost industrial, which is fine with me. I've done some very unscientific testing (I've tried bending and twisting the print with my bare hands) and the material seems to be a lot stiffer than regular PLA, and it takes a lot of force to break something made with carbon fiber PLA was printed. While it's not as flexible or heat resistant as reinforced nylon, it's a lot more forgiving when it comes to printing, storing and damaging your wallet! I will definitely be adding this to my stock of materials to use anytime I need a part that needs some structural integrity.