3D Printing How cold is too cold for PETG?

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Charles_McG

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I've been foregoing the winter launches because the next rockets I have on my sked all have PETG fins (with carbon fiber or plywood cores), outer sleeves (over cardboard/paper tubing), and nosecones (foam filled).

I've shattered PETG fins before in a winter landing on ice. I've heard of other people avoiding Quantum tube in cold weather - but what about PETG? Does anyone have a sense of where it becomes notably more brittle than normal? 25F? 35F? 45F?
 
Good question. Saw a video several years ago that tested most major filaments at -20C. The summary I took away was PC remained the most impact resistant by far in cold weather.

Ah, found the video:
 
I've been foregoing the winter launches because the next rockets I have on my sked all have PETG fins (with carbon fiber or plywood cores), outer sleeves (over cardboard/paper tubing), and nosecones (foam filled).

I've shattered PETG fins before in a winter landing on ice. I've heard of other people avoiding Quantum tube in cold weather - but what about PETG? Does anyone have a sense of where it becomes notably more brittle than normal? 25F? 35F? 45F?
I have a lot of experience with PETG fins (over 100 flights), though notably not in cold weather. In my opinion, shattering becomes more common once the PETG is contaminated with paint or other solvents. I could be wrong, this is just my opinion.
 
I have a lot of experience with PETG fins (over 100 flights), though notably not in cold weather. In my opinion, shattering becomes more common once the PETG is contaminated with paint or other solvents. I could be wrong, this is just my opinion.

Thanks for the link!

One other thing to keep in mind is the effects of UV light. In my opinion, this is more likely to make yoru prints brittle over time than any exposure to cold.

https://makershop.co/petg-uv-resistance/
PETG appears to again be the winner.

PC is very strong but you need to protect it from UV light and moisture. I have read that a good coat of paint will do the trick.

https://www.3dnatives.com/en/polycarbonate-pc-for-3d-printing-110220204/#!
 
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