ALGA: Algae Based PLA – Sustainable 3D Printing Filament

ALGA filament is an algae 3D printing material. It has been specially-formulated, combining PLA with nuisance algae that has been removed from the environment.

Algal blooms can reduce the ability of fish and other aquatic life to find food and can cause entire populations to leave an area or even die. 

The algae used for ALGA is collected from marine environments such as lakes, using dissolved air flotation (DAF). This process has two direct environmental benefits - firstly, removing invasive algae from the environment, and second, reintroducing oxygen to allow native aquatic life to thrive.

By removing toxic algae from the environment and using it as feedstock for a 3D printing material, ALGA is a markedly sustainable filament for 3D printers, helping to keep ecology in balance.

Produced by US filament manufacturer 3D Printlife, ALGA has been reformulated to make it less brittle and further optimised for 3D printing.

ALGA is a biodegradable 3D printing filament, meeting ASTM D6400 standards for biodegradability.

ALGA has eco-friendly spooling, and designed to universally fit most 3D printers in use worldwide and is also compatible with Ultimaker printers. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from every spool of ALGA sold funds tree plantation.

ALGA PLA provides 3D printing users with:

• Improved strength and reduced brittleness
• Earthy color palette
• Texture of finished parts resembles bone, sandstone, or wood
• A filament suited to fine detail, design and artistic projects

Base material: PLA

Nozzle temperature: 185℃ - 210℃

Heated bed required: No

Bed adhesion: Glass Plate, Tape, Buildtak, PEI

Nozzle size: ≥0.4mm

Print Speed: 50mm/s

Fan speed: 100%

Flow rate: 100%

Retraction: ±5mm

Drying: Optional

The settings above are meant as a guide to find your optimal print settings. They should work well for most printers, but every printer is different. Please feel free to experiment outside these ranges if you think it is suitable for your printer.