Is 3d Printed Petg Food Safe? Safety 3D Printing, Petg Prints Brittle

Nowadays, thanks to 3D printing technology and different materials, you can now print many items that can come into contact with food. However, since PETG is a material that is widely used to make a lot of food containers, is 3D printed PETG food safe?

In this article, we are going to talk about using this material in producing items that you use daily.

Moreover, we also recommend some safety guidelines you may need to know.

Let’s take a look now!

Table of Contents

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Is 3D PETG Food Safe? Petg filaments safety

PETG is a food-safe material.

Each manufacturer must have FDA certification before producing, and certain brands have been approved by the FDA as food-safe filaments.

You have to check the safety details to make sure the brand you are using is approved.

In fact, people mostly use PETG in the medical field. Besides, it is recyclable.

Thus, it is widely used to make food containers.

Even though PETG is food safe filament, you should always check for little breaks or cracks before using it to make cooking or baking tools or drinking bowls and dishes.

Bacteria and germs can appear in these areas.

However, there are still other safety concerns available when using a 3D printer to create objects that will come into touch with food for a long time.

A process to get approved by FDA (Source: 3dprintingindustry)

Disadvantages Of 3D Printed Objects – General food safe

Despite the advantages, this method still has some drawbacks you need to take into account when dealing with:

1. Bacteria growth:

The last thing you want when making an object that will come into contact with food is for bacteria to live, grow and make you or anyone else get sick.

A smooth surface is required to prevent the growth of these factors.

You must also pay attention to the design, even if the product is rather smooth.

Food will speed up the growth of germs if it gets stuck in small portions of your design, or simply in the layers.

2. The dangerous fumes

Because these products require a combination of heat and chemicals, you must be careful about the technology and materials you use, especially if the part will come into contact with food.

Moreover, this process can emit dangerous fumes.

If these toxic factors present during the working, they may cause health problems.

3. The material itself is toxic

Even though 3D printed PETG food safe, some materials are made of harmful substances.

For example, ABS is very dangerous because the filament contains poisonous compounds!

We do not recommend that you use these particles because they can cause health problems if consumed.

That is a concern to consider when 3D printing a part that will come into touch with food.

How To Print PETG? Printer filament

Firstly, depending on your extruder, we recommend the temperature settings at 220 – 245 degrees Celcius.

The ideal temperature for the bed is around 70-75 degrees, it can be a little hotter for the first few layers.

Secondly, what is the best surface for PETG printing? In our experience, blue painter’s tape works well.

However, different materials can function well with bed adhesion if the next important steps are followed.

Thirdly, you don’t need to squeeze this material onto the heated bed.

Instead, leave a slightly greater gap on the Z axis to give the plastic more room to lay down.

Extruder nozzles that are too close to the bed or prior layer will skim and cause stringing and build-up around the nozzle. Starting with 0.02mm increments, move the nozzle away from the bed until there is no skimming during printing.

Last but not least, if you want the strongest print possible, print without the fan.

The higher temperature of the PETG filament will aid in super-strong layer adhesion.

The molten PETG will adhere extremely well to the prior layer.

However, if you want more detail and no stringing, you should choose a cooling fan made entirely of PETG.

You will get detailed prints with no stringing or blobbing, due to the quick cooling after leaving the nozzle.

Watch these tips from MatterHackers: (63) BEST TIPS FOR BETTER PRINTS WITH PETG | Everything you need to succeed with PETG filament

Is 3D Printed PETG Food Safe? – Nothing Is Safe Without A Coating

Using the right materials and a good printer are only the first steps.

The print will never be safe for food just because of one simple reason: 3D printing creates things with gaps between the layers. These gaps can become an ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to grow, which can make you sick.

Of course, reducing the layer height or adding an infill will decrease the number of gaps. However, the products will never be safe enough.

In the most ideal condition, the surface you print should be as smooth as possible.

Some materials such as PLA or PETG can only be smoothed with toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, chemical smoothing cannot make this reach.

Furthermore, in reality, the end result is never perfect.

There are many very small bubbles that still have bacteria. Besides, you should know that these coatings can break down over time when exposed to conditions like heat or wear. Also, they can be very harmful if not being cured properly.

However, in normal uses, it can be acceptable.

Layers of a 3D printed objects (Source: All3DP)

3D Printed PETG Food Safe: Factors To Consider

There are 3 main factors that influence the food safety of plastic parts. They are: Design, Surface and Process.

1. Design

When designing a container or other items, you should consider whether it will be a product contact surface or a non-product contact surface.

However, most of the time, we look at the surfaces that will touch what we eat.

We recommend the following steps to make sure that surface is safe enough:

Fewer gaps as much as possible: Gaps are common in 3D printed products, from the very small gaps between the layers to the big holes in the surface.

These areas are a good environment for moulds to form. As we talked about below, we can use the coating method to fill these gaps.

For functional holes, you should first know how you are going to clean them when designing.

Smooth corners: You can turn the sharp corners into fillets by smoothing them.
Durable: These parts should be strong enough for you to use for a long time without breaking. In fact, 3D printed parts break easily in many situations.

2. Printing process

The process will decide the strength and surface finish of the part.

Normally, some printers will produce a stronger part while resin-based printers will make smoother ones.

Additionally, you can use all of these processes to make food safe plastics, as long as they meet the safety needs.

But how about the printers? You have to know that some toxic chemicals that touch what you eat are from the machines themselves.

For this reason, you should choose the right materials for your machine, especially when using in making surfaces that will touch what people eat.

3. Surfaces

One of the most important factors of 3D printing is the surface finish of the end product.

Some printed parts tend to be porous.

This is not a good thing. Bacteria, germs, and molds can grow inside these tiny cracks.

According to the experts, the design itself, the material, and the production process can all affect the final surface.

Furthermore, a product that will touch food must have a surface roughness of no more than 32 Ra.

To meet this smoothness level, typical post-processing methods such as grinding, tumbling, machining, polishing, and vapor smoothing can be used.

From the beginning, you should take the complete design into account in order to create a clear path to requirements.

We all know that 3D printed PETG safe for food and nontoxic, but you should look at what happens when you put it through a milling machine.

It is important to choose the right materials. In this case, tougher plastic could be better.

Of course, there is still another solution to this surface issue: coating.

Chemical coatings allow us to fill the pores and gaps on the surface while also creating a waterproof and durable finish for the parts.

However, just make sure the chemical you use to coat it is matching with any cleaning methods you want to use in the future on your product.

It would be a failure to have a nice smooth surface if it all melts into a huge mess as soon as you try to clean it with just some simple soap.

Is 3D printed PETG food safe: Frequently Asked Question

1. Is PETG a waterproof material?

PETG actively takes water from the air. As a result, you should keep this material in a cool and dry location.

You also need to dry it if exposes to humid air for a long period of time.

People can use closed bags and vacuum-sealed boxes to ensure that the filament comes into contact with the humidity as little as possible.

2. Is This Material Toxic To Print?

Although the fumes are not dangerous, it is always a good idea to well ventilate your working room.

When printing with PETG, there may have some carbon emissions from the fumes.

However, experts say that they do not have any serious health risks.

3. How Can I Remove Water From PETG?

Preheat the oven to 160-180 degrees F (70-80 degrees C).
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the spool for 4-6 hours.
Remove the item and place it in an airtight container with desiccant, if possible. For filament storage, 5-gallon buckets with airtight lids from local hardware stores work nicely. We can also try uncooked rice as a low-cost solution.

4. How Can I Prepare My Nozzle To Print Food Grade Things?

It also matters which nozzle you use.

Because it wears out, the conventional brass nozzle is not really safe for food contact.

It is a consumable item. What happens to the worn material? It will put that in your print.

As a result, a soft brass nozzle will not suffice.

If you are even thinking about printing food, you may need a stainless steel or titanium nozzle.

5. When Should I Use Epoxy Resin Or Silicone Coating?

Normally, people like epoxy resin coating because of its high strength, while silicone coating (PA) is suitable for flexible models.

Epoxy type is popular in mechanical engineering and electrical fields, for example.

On the other hand, people mostly use PA plastics in the art and design industry, such as for fashion making or prototypes.

Conclusion

In summary, besides the safety aspect, you have to use a material that will allow the object to be used daily.

Does your printed object need to be heat resistant?

Will it last in hot water, a microwave?

It would be a waste of time to get a final object that can be easily deformed while exposed to warm water.

We just told you about the PETG and how to print it safely. But there is also something that you also need to consider: the safe coating. Is 3D printed PETG food safe? Yes, but adding the right coating with it is obviously better!

Further reading:

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