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Topic: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

A month or so back I got my newest powder colorant order from OS3DP which contained indigo, dark ash, and burgundy. I finally found time to extrude and test them, the first of which being indigo.

Extruder:
Mostly stock Filastruder v1.6 #1870 extruding vertically with full barrel header wrap insulation and a Filawinder. No melt filter for this test, though it is advised especially if your printer has a nozzle smaller than .6mm
http://i.imgur.com/5yJrPZ9.jpg

Mixing:
Here I discussed mixing powder based colorants in a paint can with a printed mixing bit. I used this exact method for approximately 3 minutes then quickly stored the pellets in a ziplock bag with dessicate pouches for later extrusion.  In this test, I used 500g of virgin ABS MG94 and about 2g of colorant.
http://i.imgur.com/SsvSHDz.jpg


Extrusion:
Temp: 189c
Rate: 6-12 inch per minute
Average diameter:  1.74 +/- .02mm
I had a worn hopper which was sagging and did not allow a consistent feeding. I replaced the vertical clamp while extruding and I got roughly 9-12" per minute. For the sake of documentation, I felt the need for transparency.
I am blown away with the color consistency every time I try a new powder colorant even though I know what to expect.

http://i.imgur.com/94v16oT.jpg

Printer:
Printit Industries 8.10

Printing:
Temps: 245c/90c
Speed: 120mm/s
Layer Height: .3mm

I had the spiral vase profile temps a few degrees too high as I ended up with stringing, but it fed like butter seeing as it was only 2 days old when I printed with it. As for as printing performance, it was everything I have been spoiled to since reliably extruder with my Filastruder and Filawinder.

In certain lighting and angles the printed Indigo can look like a black or a very dark grey
http://i.imgur.com/jpgaEVi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eTYPGE4.jpg

Held up to a light source you can see the deep amount of blue and a hint of violet which creates indigo.
http://i.imgur.com/nvOrKSv.jpg

Comparison to available filament:
I first made indigo by blending masterbatch which I discussed here and it came out very dark and naturally had color banding like most filaments made at home with masterbatch. Printing the powder based was just as reliable with the powder based as with the masterbatch colorant, but far more consistent in terms of color. As far as I know, the only pre-made Indigo colored filament on the market is PLA from Europe which seems to be more blue.

Takeaway and comments:
This is a very dynamic color and would work best for odd-ball print jobs, quirky pleasure, or especially for projects related to lighting.
Simply put, if you have not tried powder colorants, due yourself a favor and ditch your masterbatch now. It was both a privilege, and easy to work with Jonathan on the 3 custom colors I requested. Indigo is such a seldom used color for pretty much anything, so it is really cool to get a reliable source. Purging the Indigo colorant takes much longer than other colors as I am currently finding out. It seems to take up to 150g to get a natural filament, so transitioning to the next "true color" will take some extra time and material, but this is where recycled pellets really help unless you have print jobs that do not mandate specific hues.

Cleaning after powder colorant use:
Purging the Filastruder:
Indigo took quite a long time to purge similar to the red powder colorant. To purge indigo from the Filastruder I used 100g of virgin MG94 pellets until it ran clean at 189c.

Cleaning the vessel:
Your cleaning process of the vessel will depend on a couple factors:
1) What material your vessel is.
2) How large it is.
3) What you use as a mixing bit.

Defining (1):
With a glass jar, hot water and a little soap goes a long way. Fill the vessel 1/3 of the way with water with about a quarter sized (24mm) drop of Dawn. Pour the soap before the water so the force louches, then shake violently.
With an empty paint can, a little hot water and a rag to wipe with is all that is needed. If you shake said paint can, you will get more powder distributed and have more cleanup. But with a mixing bit, the cleanup will be more defined.
Acetone can also be used, but this method would be far more preferred for the glass jar (shaking) method since the acetone may dissolve the vinyl lining of the paint can and potentially contaminate future batches.

Defining (2):
The size of the vessel can hinder your ability and technique for cleaning. The larger it is, the less likely you are of being able to successfully shaking soap+water and would need to wipe down with a rag and hot water. If fresh, this would work. If old, acetone and said rag would be mandatory.

Defining (3): 
The mixing bits sold at places like Home Depot are generally an ABS tip with an aluminum shaft and should not be cleaned with acetone. Either wipe down the bit with hot water and a tiny dab of soap immediately after mixing the colorant,  or let it sit and cure a while to let the colorant solidify on the tool, or transition to like colors . (i.e. red>orange>yellow / yellow>orange>red)
If you buy a metal bit or print one in PETG, PLA, or Nylon, acetone can work just fine fore a cleaner.

Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

AZERATE wrote:

Defining (2):
The size of the vessel can hinder your ability and technique for cleaning. The larger it is, the less likely you are of being able to successfully shaking soap+water and would need to wipe down with a rag and hot water. If fresh, this would work. If old, acetone and said rag would be mandatory.

The people who make the colors for me use kerosene to cleanup.  I have used that once.  I have usually been successful with using a "Dawn" type soap and sometimes a LOT of it but not always.

-os3dp

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

Do you have any issues with cleaning powder out of the hopper and feed chute?  I imagine there would be a fair amount of powder left behind, though I don't know if it would be enough to show up in extrusion.

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

There is some color contamination like a sheen of powder that clings to virtually everything it touches in the Filastruder...even the auger takes on the powder. But after purging with virgin pellets (40-100g depending on the colorant) the color does not effect the current or future colors even with the staining.
But if you were to rub your fingers into the bottom of the hopper, the color will rub off onto your skin.

Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!

5

Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

There's less leftover powder than I expected in the hopper etc.. My hopper is a 2L soda bottle, and a quick wipe with dry paper towels gets the job done. For the inside of the machine, I run pellets like AZERATE said and it seems to clean out well.

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

Is static electricity the problem here? Many plastics have the reputation of generating the necessary charges when in contact.
My current idea to solve this is to spray my hopper (and eventually my mixing heads) with anti-static spray.
This makes extra sense when combined with the low humidity needed to keep the pellets from absorbing moisture.

Filastruder 2607 w/ Filawinder @1.75mm.
Dual-extruder MaxMicron Prusa Mendel: RAMPS 1.4 w/ Repetier Firmware+Full Graphic LCD Controller, stock hotends, 3Dator extruders w/ MK8 gears, insulated enclosure w/ 2 heat lamps, RPi 2B w/ Repetier Server.
0.1-0.2mm layer height, heated bed w/ PEI surface, inductive-sensor autolevel, 0.5mm to 0.2mm nozzle diameters.

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

Is static electricity the problem here? Many plastics have the reputation of generating the necessary charges when in contact.
My current idea to solve this is to spray my hopper (and eventually my mixing heads) with anti-static spray.
This makes extra sense when combined with the low humidity needed to keep the pellets from absorbing moisture.

Filastruder 2607 w/ Filawinder @1.75mm.
Dual-extruder MaxMicron Prusa Mendel: RAMPS 1.4 w/ Repetier Firmware+Full Graphic LCD Controller, stock hotends, 3Dator extruders w/ MK8 gears, insulated enclosure w/ 2 heat lamps, RPi 2B w/ Repetier Server.
0.1-0.2mm layer height, heated bed w/ PEI surface, inductive-sensor autolevel, 0.5mm to 0.2mm nozzle diameters.

8

Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

The raw powder without additives will stick to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!!   Static electricity is not an issue with the raw powder, it just sticks to EVERYTHING.  We put additives in the raw powder after creating the color to help it stick to the pellets.  I would shy away from putting anti-static spray on anything since that would likely get on the pellets and then into your filament.

-os3dp

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

Good to know. I guess the best thing I can do for the hopper is to smooth it with acetone (less surface area+less friction) and simply clean it with dishwater every color change.
Not that big of a deal overall if I make ~3kg at a time using parts from this:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:612974/#files

Filastruder 2607 w/ Filawinder @1.75mm.
Dual-extruder MaxMicron Prusa Mendel: RAMPS 1.4 w/ Repetier Firmware+Full Graphic LCD Controller, stock hotends, 3Dator extruders w/ MK8 gears, insulated enclosure w/ 2 heat lamps, RPi 2B w/ Repetier Server.
0.1-0.2mm layer height, heated bed w/ PEI surface, inductive-sensor autolevel, 0.5mm to 0.2mm nozzle diameters.

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Re: [ABS-MG94] Powder colorant - Indigo

I would like to take back my original comment on how Indigo is a very dynamic color. I would say that it is the most dynamic color I've seen. In comparison to the vase pictures I posted above, I offer this....
http://i.imgur.com/J7MH2BG.jpg

Printit 8.10
.1mm height
This is a wonderful color to play with for lighting purposes! I'm gonna start stocking up on this powder and it will most likely replace my love for black MG94.

Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!