Braskem and ALM to Develop Polyolefins for 3D PrintingBraskem and ALM to Develop Polyolefins for 3D Printing

December 4, 2019

4 Min Read
Braskem and ALM to Develop Polyolefins for 3D Printing
Product developed using new polypropylene powder for SLS 3D Printing. Image courtesy of Braskem

Polyolefins and biopolymers producer Braskem is partnering with industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing materials firm Advanced Laser Materials (ALM) to create new polyolefin-based powders for use in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) powder-bed 3D printing applications, the company announced in a recent release.

The first product developed under the partnership, a polypropylene (PP) powder for SLS, is slated to be released in the first half of 2020. ALM and Braskem said the new material has a number of advantages for use in SLS AM processes, including improved recyclability, moisture resistance, and enhanced processing stability. 

“More and more we see the future success of AM being defined not by single products like printers or materials, but in understanding how to marry printers, processes, materials, and design with customer applications – providing an end-to-end solution,” ALM President Donnie Vanelli said in a statement. “This approach requires developing broad partnerships, especially between printer OEMs and chemical companies. This is precisely what we have achieved in developing our relationship with Braskem, with their deep basic knowledge of polyolefins and their large portfolio of materials.”

ALM and Braskem started collaborating in 2018. The companies spent the last year developing the new polyolefin-based powder and plan to expand their range of offerings for laser powder bed fusion moving forward. 

“We are extremely proud to announce our partnership with ALM for the development of innovative polyolefins-based powders to support the growing opportunity we see for the additive manufacturing markets worldwide,” Fabio Lamon, additive manufacturing technology leader at Braskem, said in the release. “Building on our position as a global leader in polyolefins production, and our growing portfolio of bio-based polymers, we were excited to align efforts with ALM to bring our customers new solutions to help fuel their advanced manufacturing strategies as well as support innovative new product development roadmaps.”

In 2017, Braskem said it would invest $675 million to build “the largest polypropylene production line in the Americas,” Powder & Bulk Solids reported. Braskem’s new line was planned to have a production capacity of 450 kt/yr upon completion, manufacturing homopolymers, random copolymers, impact copolymers, and reactor TPOs. 

The company selected North American polymer resin distributor and recycler PolyQuest Inc. this December to distribute polypropylene in the US.

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