PCL
4 products from 4 makers. Bambu Lab does not list this material for the H2C; its published process temperatures are within the printer's limits.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 0.35GPa
- as published · test bar not described as printed
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 45MPa
- one product
- Not published:
- tensile strength (Z),
- Not published:
- notched Charpy impact.
- HDT at 0.45 MPa
- 57°C
- one product
- Price
- 234CAD/kg
- one product
PCL is a semicrystalline, low-melting polymer. Makers sell it for biomedical research, orthopedic and orthotic uses and decorative items, though a maker excludes permanent implantation in the body. On the H2C it prints at 130 °C, needs no heated chamber, and a maker advises drying and printing from a dry box.
Partly documented Tensile strength (XY), HDT at 0.45 MPa and price rest on 1 product each, tensile strength (Z) and notched Charpy impact are not published and tensile modulus (XY) is published only on test bars no document describes as printed. Each figure is the median of the products that publish it comparably, and beside it the middle half of them; a value on a test bar no document describes as printed, or with no stated test load, is set apart, except a heat deflection of a plastic that cannot crystallise, which its glass transition sets, unless its document points to a moulded or resin bar.
On the H2C
Printing in full- Nozzle
- 130 °C
- most products that give one
- Bed
- 30–45 °C
- most products that give one
- Heated chamber
- none needed
- 2 of 4 products
- Drying
- 40–50 °C for 1 h
- 2 of 4 products call for it
- Nozzle type
- not stated
No product's setting is beyond the H2C's limits: nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C.
Among the materials
Among the materials, PCL has a high elongation at break (XY) and price, and a low HDT at 0.45 MPa and density: each is in the top or bottom quarter of the materials that publish it. Its tensile strength (XY) sits in the middle half.
Against its alternatives, PCL has the highest price
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- PCL: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
- set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
- beyond the scale
Each row is a material, each column a property: the bar is the middle half of a material's products, the tick their median, the hairline their lowest to highest; the ticks above the rows are every material's median.
The figure as a table
| Material | Modulus (XY) (GPa) | Strength (XY) (MPa) | Strength (Z) (MPa) | Notched Charpy (kJ/m²) | HDT 0.45 MPa (°C) | Price (CAD/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCL (this material) | 0.35 as published (2) | 45 · 1 | — | — | 57 · 1 | 234 · 1 |
| PLA | 2.58 (2–2.88) · 61 | 45 (39.5–53) · 83 | 30.3 (22.1–34) · 40 | 6 (3.97–7.9) · 14 | 56 (53–58) · 50 | 33 (28–40) · 27 |
| PETG | 1.69 (1.42–1.95) · 24 | 47 (40.3–50.6) · 34 | 30.2 (28–36.5) · 16 | 6 (4.76–8) · 10 | 70 (69–71) · 32 | 26 (25–32) · 11 |
| ABS | 2.2 (2.02–2.25) · 13 | 34.5 (33–35.6) · 18 | 27.3 (24.6–28.3) · 12 | 20 (18–21.5) · 7 | 95 (89–99) · 18 | 40 (31–52) · 9 |
| PP | 1.2–1.4 as published (2) | 19 · 1 | — | 65 as published (1) | 59 · 1 | 77 · 2 |
| Nylon, maker-undisclosed polyamide | 2.48 (1.89–3.08) · 4 | 57 (50.5–64.5) · 4 | 24 · 1 | 5.2 · 1 | 60 · 2 | 107 · 1 |
PCL publishes no tensile strength (Z) or notched Charpy impact. Its tensile modulus (XY) states no orientation, so it is drawn as published.
Where PCL sits among the 128 rigid materials on file
Where is it in the landscape: stiffness against strength, heat resistance against price?
- PCL: median, middle half as a cross
- a PCL product
- an alternative
- another material
HDT at 0.45 MPa against price
°C
Price, CAD/kg, log scale
Grey points are every other rigid material's medians; the alternatives are named.
The figure as a table
| Material | Price | HDT at 0.45 MPa |
|---|---|---|
| PCL (this material) | 234 CAD/kg · 1 | 57 °C · 1 |
| PLA | 33 CAD/kg · 27 | 56 °C · 50 |
| PETG | 26 CAD/kg · 11 | 70 °C · 32 |
| ABS | 40 CAD/kg · 9 | 95 °C · 18 |
| PP | 77 CAD/kg · 2 | 59 °C · 1 |
| Nylon, maker-undisclosed polyamide | 107 CAD/kg · 1 | 60 °C · 2 |
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), PCL typically reaches a tensile strength of 45 MPa, and breaks at 800 % elongation. In bending, its flexural strength is typically 18 MPa at a flexural modulus of 380 MPa.
| As each sheet publishes it | iSANMATE Capa 6500 | 3D4Makers Facilan PCL100 | SUNLU PCL | Filament2Print BioFil - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) | not published | 45 MPa | not published | 45 MPanot described as printed |
| Tensile modulus (XY) | not published | 0.35 GPanot described as printed | not published | 0.35 GPanot described as printed |
| Elongation at break (XY) | 800 %not described as printed | not published | 800 % | not published |
| Notched Izod impact | not published | 8 kJ/m² | not published | 8 kJ/m²not described as printed |
| Shore D hardness | not published | 46 Shore D | not published | 46 Shore D |
Not published for PCL: strength across the layers.
Thermal properties
Its products put HDT at 57 °C under 0.45 MPa, against a glass transition of -60 °C. Semicrystalline, it carries light load well above its glass transition. As published, melting is typically 59 °C.
| As each sheet publishes it | iSANMATE Capa 6500 | 3D4Makers Facilan PCL100 | SUNLU PCL | Filament2Print BioFil - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | not published | 57 °C | not published | 57 °Cnot described as printed |
| Glass transition (Tg) | not published | -60 °C | not published | -60 °C |
Not published for PCL: HDT at 1.8 MPa.
Printing on the H2C
PCL softens near 57 °C, below the H2C's 65 °C chamber
What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?
- share of the products that accept each temperature
- what most products accept
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
- PCL: its products' median and middle half
- as published, under each sheet's own test
Printing it on the H2C
In service
°C
One temperature axis for the settings a print needs and the temperatures a part meets. A setting's shade is how many of the products whose sheets give a window accept each degree; the H2C's limit closes its row.
The figure as a table
| Setting or property | Most products, or the median | Products | H2C limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 130 °C | 3 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 30–45 °C | 3 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | — | 0 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 40–50 °C, 1 h | 1 | — |
| Glass transition (Tg) | -60 °C | 2 | — |
| HDT at 0.45 MPa | 57 °C | 1 | — |
| Melting temperature | 58–60 °C | 2 | — |
No PCL product gives a heated chamber window. Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | iSANMATE Capa 6500 | 3D4Makers Facilan PCL100 | SUNLU PCL | Filament2Print BioFil - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | not published | 130–170 °C | 75–85 °C | 95–130 °C |
| Bed | not published | 30–45 °C | 20–40 °C | 40–50 °C |
| Heated chamber | not published | not published | none needed | none needed |
| Drying | not published | not published | 40–50 °C for 1 h | required, schedule not stated |
| Nozzle type | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated |
What makers say about printing it
Printing advice
Due to the low melting point, of Facilan™ PCL100 it can be reshaped after 3D printing in water with a temperature of 55 °C.
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1Note: Add M302 S120 into the beginning of the g-code to allow cold extrusion, below 170°C
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1Extra: Minimum Layer Time considerably +/- 60 sec minimum, highly dependent of model size and complexity and enabled Lift Head.
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1该材料无需热床即可成功打印，减少了对设备的依赖。
SUNLU PCL, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Moisture sensitivity
To obtain the best parameters of the printed object, it is recommended to dry the material prior to usage and to 3D print it directly from a dry box.
Filament2Print BioFil - PCL, data sheet, p. 1
Supports and removal
Support : If PVA or breakaway Support = enabled; Support overhang angle = 0°; Enable Prime Tower = Enabled. Support with Facilan Ortho onto itself: not recommended
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
More from makers: warping and shrinkage and adhesion between layers
Warping and shrinkage
Adhesion between layers
The material has an amazing adhesion between layers which results in great improvement of the impact resistance, strength, durability, and printability.
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Products
4 products, one from each of 4 makers.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
Decorative items, toys, accessories, and figurines
SUNLU PCL, data sheet, p. 1Bonding textiles with insoles, midsoles, or other brace or shoe parts.
Filament2Print BioFil - PCL, data sheet, p. 1Our customers use our PCL for research into artificial trachea, smart materials, scaffolds for tissue engineering, bioabsorbable implants, drug-loaded implants and other cutting-edge applications.
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
What makers warn about
Recommended restrictions Do not use in medical applications involving permanent implantation in the human body.
3D4Makers Facilan PCL100, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
| Exposure | What makers say |
|---|---|
| Organic solvent resistance | Described in words, with no rating, in all 4 statements |
| Acid resistance | Described in words, with no rating, in both statements |
| Alkali resistance | Described in words, with no rating, in both statements |
| Oil and grease resistance | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
| Flammability | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
| UV and outdoor | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
Makers rarely give the concentration, temperature or duration: treat them as indications, not design data. Each product's statements are on its card.
Density and price
Its three products give a density of 1,100–1,130 kg/m³. One product has a sampled price: 3D4Makers Facilan PCL100 at 234 CAD/kg, from filamentworld.de's listing in EUR, converted at the Bank of Canada rate of 29 Sep 2026. No Canadian shop in the sample sells it.
| As each sheet publishes it | iSANMATE Capa 6500 | 3D4Makers Facilan PCL100 | SUNLU PCL | Filament2Print BioFil - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | not published | 1,100 kg/m³ | 1,130 kg/m³ | 1,100 kg/m³ |
| Price | not published | 234 CAD/kg | not published | not published |
Regular prices, never sale prices, from 9 Canadian shops and 10 foreign shops, sampled 10 Sep–20 Oct 2026, not live; shipping and tax are not included.
Other properties, as published
4 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 4 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Elongation at yield | 2 | 15 % |
| Decomposition temperature | 1 | 300 °C |
| Melt mass-flow rate | 1 | 30 g/10 min |
| Mould shrinkage | 1 | 1.3–1.6 % |
Estimated values
No product publishes a tensile modulus (XY) that can be ranked, so the selector estimates it from the products' related values and similar materials. An estimate is a range, never a product's value, and nothing above rests on it.
| Property | Likely | Plausible | Precision | Beside what is published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile modulus (XY) | 170–570 MPa | 120–780 MPa | a factor of 3.4 between its ends | two products give 350 MPa without a stated orientation, inside it |
What likely and plausible mean
Tested against known values, a likely range held the true value 8 times in 10, and a plausible range 19 times in 20. How the estimates are made.
Sources
11 documents from 6 publishers (5 data sheets, 5 makers' product pages and guides and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–19 Oct 2026. Each value on PCL's Products page names its document and page, and links to the original.
Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide (the H2C's printer guide): print settings for 3 products.
Every document (11), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNLU | 4 | 12 | 1 |
| 3D4Makers | 3 | 11 | 1 |
| Filament2Print | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| iSANMATE | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| FormFutura | 1 | 0 | 1 |
- 3D4Makers, Facilan™ PCL 100 Filament
- 3D4Makers, Facilan™ PCL 100 Filament | 3D4Makers | 3D Printing
- 3D4Makers, Technical Data Sheet 3D Printing Filament Facilan™ PCL100
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- Filament2Print, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET BioFil - PCL
- FormFutura, BioFil - PCL
- iSANMATE, Capa™ 6500 Polycaprolactone Technical Data Sheet
- SUNLU, SUNLU general filament guide (SUNLU wiki)
- SUNLU, SUNLU PCL official product page (Chinese)
- SUNLU, SUNLU PCL 产品资料 / Product information
- SUNLU, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET ISO PCL