Much is written about the material properties of PLA. Most of it is „grey“ theory. But there is not much tangible experience.
On this page I try to compile insights about what works and what doesn’t – From direct experience in everyday life.
Some of the prints I have made are now some time old and it shows whether the material can withstand use or whether it fails.
As a first example, the filter basket of the pond pump that I have designed shows that even 6 months in use underwater no material fatigue can be detected.
In order to use an internal filter with larger holes, I took the filter out of the water, disassembled it and cleaned it.
Closeup.
Layer height = 0.2mm
You can see that algae have settled on the surface. The plastic itself is neither looks damaged nor porous.
The integrity of the grid seems completely intact.
It is also important that the presence of PLA in the water has not had any noticeable effects on fish or plants in the pond until now.
The material has also retained its original dimensions. Replacing the internal filter with a version with larger holes still works without problems even after half a year under water.
