Clariant Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol White 3D Printer Filament is a thermoplastic monofilament supplied for fused filament fabrication (FFF) machines with a heated bed and a nozzle temperature control range up to at least 260 °C; it is not intended for resin-based or powder-bed additive systems. The polymer base is polyethylene terephthalate modified with cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM); the glycol modification interrupts chain packing and suppresses the rapid crystallization that makes unmodified polyethylene terephthalate difficult to print. White coloration is achieved by dispersing an inorganic white pigment, typically rutile titanium dioxide, into the polyester melt. The product identifier in distribution combines the Clariant polymer family designation with the colour and filament diameter; common diameter codes are 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm, and spool masses of 0.75 kg or 1 kg appear in regional listings. Published product-specific data for this exact white PETG configuration is limited; the technical envelope therefore draws on supplier certificates of analysis and on standard characterization of unfilled PETG under ISO 527-2, ISO 1133-1:2022, ISO 75-2:2013, and ISO 11357-2:2020.

How Does Glycol Modification Change the Thermal and Crystallization Behaviour of Polyester Filament?

Unmodified polyethylene terephthalate typically requires nozzle temperatures near 280 °C and a heated chamber to control crystallization and warping. The CHDM comonomer in PETG reduces the crystallization rate; differential scanning calorimetry per ISO 11357-2:2020 records a glass transition near 80 °C, and no pronounced melt-crystallization exotherm during cooling at 10 K/min. This permits extrusion at 230 °C to 250 °C, with bed temperatures of 70 °C to 80 °C, while residual solidification stress is lower than in semi-crystalline PET. The trade-off is lower heat distortion: under a 0.455 MPa flexural load per ISO 75-2:2013, unfilled PETG typically deflects near 70 °C, whereas ABS may withstand 95 °C or higher under the same condition. The amorphous structure also reduces warpage but lowers continuous service temperature relative to semi-crystalline polyesters.

Drying before melt processing is a boundary condition, not a recommendation. PETG hydrolyzes in the melt when moisture content exceeds approximately 0.02 %, causing chain scission, reduced interlayer strength, and surface defects on printed walls. Spools stored at relative humidity above 50 % are dried at 65 °C for 4 h to 6 h in a forced-air or desiccant spool dryer; the air supply for filament producers is held at a dew point below -40 °C. During printing, the spool is kept at 50 °C or in a sealed container with silica gel. The exact moisture limit for the Clariant white grade must be read from the certificate of analysis; independent published data for this specific formulation is limited.

Supplier Documentation and Model Identification for the White PETG Grade

Clariant supplies polymer compounds and masterbatches under quality systems registered to ISO 9001:2015; the 3D printing filament portfolio does not use a single public model-number scheme across all regions. The designation “Clariant Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol White 3D Printer Filament” therefore functions as the model identifier in procurement and incoming inspection records. The spool label may carry a supplier article code, batch number, diameter, net mass, colour code such as RAL 9016 or RAL 9010, and production date. Technical specifications are controlled by the lot-specific certificate of analysis, which should report mean diameter, ovality, moisture content, melt volume-flow rate, tensile properties, and dimensional standard deviation. For production purchases, the certificate of analysis and the relevant ISO or ASTM test reports are to be called off against the purchase order.

On a monofilament extrusion line for fused filament fabrication feedstock, diameter is measured continuously with a two-axis laser gauge before the puller and spooler. The accepted dimensional window for 1.75 mm filament is ±0.05 mm, with ovality below 0.03 mm; for 2.85 mm filament the absolute band is wider but the relative control is equivalent. Closed-loop winding controlled by a dancer system prevents overlapping turns and tight spots that can produce extruder skip in Bowden systems. Winding tension is kept low enough to avoid core crushing; for PETG spools, core diameters below 80 mm increase cold-bending stress and may produce kinked filament at the extruder entry. A supplier lot with diameter ripple above 0.1 mm over 1 m of filament is not suitable for an extrusion-flow-controlled printer because the volumetric feed error creates visible layer-width modulation. Published line data for the Clariant white product is not independently available; incoming inspection should verify these parameters on at least 3 points per spool using a calibrated digital micrometer.

When White Rutile Pigmentation Constrains Melt Viscosity and Drying

Rutile titanium dioxide has a density of approximately 4.2 g/cm³ and a Mohs hardness of 6 to 7; in PETG it raises melt viscosity, increases die pressure, and accelerates screw and barrel wear in production compounding when dry pigment is used instead of a pre-dispersed masterbatch. The melt volume-flow rate of unfilled PETG at 250 °C with a 2.16 kg piston load is commonly 8–12 cm³/10 min under ISO 1133-1:2022; white PETG with 4–6 wt% pigment loading is likely to fall at the lower end of that range, although the exact loading in the Clariant grade is not published. In the print head, pigmentation can require a nozzle-temperature increase of 5 °C relative to natural PETG to restore stable extrusion and interlayer adhesion. The adjustment is not universal and is confirmed by a single-wall z-direction tensile specimen or a filament feed-rate test. Drying remains at 65 °C for 4 h; white grades are not automatically more hygroscopic, but pigment agglomerates can retain volatiles if the masterbatch is not fully dried during filament production.

On borosilicate glass heated to 70 °C, PETG adhesion can be sufficiently high to remove glass chips from the plate when the part is detached before cooling below 40 °C. A release interlayer such as a polyvinylpyrrolidone-based glue stick, polyimide tape, or a dedicated PETG build surface is applied to prevent glass damage. Textured PEI sheets also provide release while retaining adhesion during the print. Part-cooling air is used only after the first layer: a fan duty cycle of 40 % to 60 % improves overhang definition without causing delamination, while 100 % cooling from the first layer reduces z-direction strength and increases edge lift on large rectangular sections. Draft shielding is not mandatory for small parts but is used for parts longer than 150 mm in the longest axis to avoid asymmetric cooling and warp in white PETG.

Volumetric Speed, Retraction, and First-Layer Height Shift with Extruder Architecture

In direct-drive printers, the white PETG is printed at 230 °C to 250 °C nozzle temperature, 70 °C to 80 °C bed temperature, and a volumetric speed below 12 mm³/s to avoid gloss banding and under-extrusion at the pigment-induced viscosity shoulder. In Bowden systems, retraction must be increased to 4–6 mm at 25 mm/s to control stringing; direct-drive retraction is typically 0.8–1.2 mm at 35 mm/s. White PETG may string more than natural PETG because titanium dioxide particles increase melt elasticity and die swell. First-layer height is set to 0.20 mm with a line width of 0.45 mm for a 0.40 mm nozzle; first-layer speed is reduced to 20 mm/s to allow the amorphous melt to wet the bed without fracture. These parameters are starting points derived from standard unfilled and white PETG practice; the Clariant certificate of analysis should be used for any lot-specific deviation.

A single-screw filament line with 24:1 L/D and a two-stage screw is typically used to compound and extrude white PETG at melt temperatures between 230 °C and 250 °C, with die pressure controlled below 20 MPa for a 1.75 mm die. The extrudate is quenched in a water bath held at 45 °C to 55 °C to avoid quench-induced surface haze and then laser-gauged before winding. Batch-to-batch variation in white pigment dispersion can be detected as a screen-pack pressure rise greater than 10 % at constant screw speed; this indicates agglomeration and triggers a filter change or dispersion audit. These production references are general polyester monofilament practice; published line parameters for the Clariant white product specifically are limited.

White PETG occupies a processing position between PLA and ABS in fused filament fabrication. The table below uses typical unfilled or white-pigmented filament data; the Clariant product should be verified against its certificate of analysis.

Unmodified PET must be printed above 270 °C and tends to crystallize, warp, and develop haze; white PETG prints at 230 °C to 250 °C with lower warp and no crystallization haze. PLA is stiffer with a tensile modulus near 3500 MPa but fails at lower elongation and has a lower heat deflection temperature near 55 °C. ABS provides higher heat resistance but requires a bed near 100 °C to 110 °C, an enclosure, and styrene controls; white PETG does not contain styrene monomer and does not require an enclosure for small parts. White pigmentation distinguishes this grade from natural PETG by higher opacity, higher melt viscosity, and a possible 5 °C nozzle increase. The product is therefore selected for light-coloured functional prototypes, assembly fixtures, and inspection aids where ductility and dimensional stability are required and continuous service temperature remains below 60 °C.

Compliance documentation for the Clariant white PETG grade is governed by regional product safety and electrical equipment directives. The user should obtain the supplier declaration for the specific lot; the matrix below lists the minimum verification points.

Operational boundaries for white PETG include continuous service temperatures below 60 °C under load because creep resistance declines near the 80 °C glass transition. The material is not suitable for contact with strong alkaline cleaning solutions above 5 % sodium hydroxide at 60 °C, where ester hydrolysis proceeds rapidly; ketones and chlorinated solvents also attack or stress-crack the polymer. Acetone vapour smoothing is incompatible with PETG and should not be used. When post-processing is required, mechanical finishing, sanding, or epoxy-based gap filling is preferred; the white pigmented surface should be tested for discolouration at any local temperature above 70 °C.

Outdoor deployment is an additional boundary condition. Unstabilized PETG can undergo photodegradation and discolouration under continuous ultraviolet exposure; unless the supplier declares UV stabilization, outdoor service is limited to intermittent or shaded conditions. If outdoor use is required, accelerated weathering per ISO 4892-2 should be performed on the printed part.