<p>Someone has already studied this: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;url=http://radio.feld.cvut.cz/conf/poster/proceedings/Poster_2018/Section_PE/PE_043_Vesely.pdf&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiInPybkJHnAhWQiOAKHUhHDk0QFjABegQIDxAK&amp;usg=AOvVaw29WgLT3hfP1cPnHeiKtL7y" rel="nofollow noreferrer">study of electrical properties of 3D printed materials</a>.</p>

<p>ABS: dielectric constant about 3.
PLA: 2.7-2.9.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-20T02:29:16.193Z
2020-01-20T02:29:16.193Z
cmm
<p>I was considering the possibility to 3D print some capacitors with various forms and shapes in order to test them. I need to be able to print both the non-conductive and the conductive materials at the same time so I have the following questions:</p>

<ol>
<li>I suppose that since I need to do multi-material printing, i will have to stick with FDM. Is that correct?</li>
<li>I have seen that there are some PLA materials that are mixed with dust of metals and become conductive themselves. Do they become also capacitive? Are there any better options for a conductive material in a multi-material scenario?</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-13T18:18:09.977Z
This might be a better fit over on EE.SE; Someone can likely answer the printability questions here, but the capacitive properties of the materials is a little beyond the average "maker".
KeithS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-13T19:02:17.940Z
Even if you succeed in printing without any shorts, you are going to have horrible reproducibility problems.  Further, I doubt most PLA/ABS/whatever materials have a dielectric constant of any useable value.
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-20T13:18:40.130Z
There is Proto-Pasta's Conductive filament... no experience with it but you should use a 2-extruder setup, which contains "conductive carbon black", a form of very finely powdered graphite. https://www.proto-pasta.com/pages/conductive-pla
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-05T11:48:07.883Z
in the end i bought the Proto pasta conductive filament, and measured it. resistivity is what is advertised (3KOhm/10cm). The filament has also capacitance. i printed 2 sheets 2cmx2cmx1mm and whith a piece of paper in between i measured 0.1nF
Yann
<print-material><material><multi-material>
Conductive materials quality
Yann
# Conductive materials quality

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-11)

I was considering the possibility to 3D print some capacitors with various forms and shapes in order to test them. I need to be able to print both the non-conductive and the conductive materials at the same time so I have the following questions:

1. I suppose that since I need to do multi-material printing, i will have to stick with FDM. Is that correct?
2. I have seen that there are some PLA materials that are mixed with dust of metals and become conductive themselves. Do they become also capacitive? Are there any better options for a conductive material in a multi-material scenario?

**Tags:** print-material, material, multi-material

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This might be a better fit over on EE.SE; Someone can likely answer the printability questions here, but the capacitive properties of the materials is a little beyond the average "maker".  
> **username_2**: Even if you succeed in printing without any shorts, you are going to have horrible reproducibility problems.  Further, I doubt most PLA/ABS/whatever materials have a dielectric constant of any useable value.  
> **username_3**: There is Proto-Pasta's Conductive filament... no experience with it but you should use a 2-extruder setup, which contains "conductive carbon black", a form of very finely powdered graphite. https://www.proto-pasta.com/pages/conductive-pla  
> **username_0**: in the end i bought the Proto pasta conductive filament, and measured it. resistivity is what is advertised (3KOhm/10cm). The filament has also capacitance. i printed 2 sheets 2cmx2cmx1mm and whith a piece of paper in between i measured 0.1nF  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-01-20. Score: 1

Someone has already studied this: [study of electrical properties of 3D printed materials](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://radio.feld.cvut.cz/conf/poster/proceedings/Poster_2018/Section_PE/PE_043_Vesely.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiInPybkJHnAhWQiOAKHUhHDk0QFjABegQIDxAK&usg=AOvVaw29WgLT3hfP1cPnHeiKtL7y).

ABS: dielectric constant about 3.
PLA: 2.7-2.9.


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