Xenia
Xenia Materials might be a new name in additive manufacturing, but with its rich heritage in advance composite materials, the company is set to have a significant impact.
Based in Mussolente (Italy) since 1995, the company focuses on engineering and manufacturing high-performance reinforced thermoplastic composites, initially tailored exclusively for injection molding. Offering a wide selection of carbon and/or glass fiber composites, as well as ultra-light structural composites based on specialized thermoplastic matrix materials, Xenia has served many clients over the years from an array of different industries, including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, construction, medical and consumer goods.
With a firm commitment to innovation, Xenia Materials set about refining many of its existing fibre-reinforced plastic formulations specifically for large-scale additive manufacturing extrusion systems, launching its 3DP Materials business unit. The company has therefore expanded its portfolio to include polymers optimised for additive manufacturing, functionalised for use in any type of FGF printer, for LSAM and high-precision production. Its move into AM was prompted by advancements in AM technologies that enabled the use of materials in pellet form to produce large parts more efficiently.
3DP Materials by Xenia
Though less than a year since Xenia first launched its first composite grades optimised for extrusion-based additive manufacturing, it has already built out an extensive and versatile portfolio of materials.
XECARB® 3DP
Xenia
XECARB® 3DP is Xenia’s family of thermoplastic composites reinforced carbon fibre up to 50%. It is based on its standard XECARB® product range and includes materials that cover most of the polymer pyramid, going from the engineering polymers (e.g. HDPE, POM, ABS, PC, PET-G…) to the high-performing ultra-polymers (e.g. PEI, PESU, PEEK, PPS…).
These materials represent the range of products that achieve the highest mechanical properties, as well as low density and electrical conductivity. Moreover, the materials' toughness and the fibre’s ability to minimize the risk of warping throughout the printing process result in high-fidelity parts with a high-quality surface finish, making it ideal for metal replacement and tooling applications.
Enriching the XECARB® 3DP family, Xenia has also developed:
- XECARB® HM 3DP family, characterised by high-modulus carbon fibre reinforcement.
- XECARB® SL 3DPfamily, super-light structural compounds reinforced with carbon fibre.
- XECARB ST 3DP family, supertough thermoplastic composites reinforced with carbon fibre.
XEGLASS® 3DP
Based on lightweight long-chain polyamides (e.g. PA11, PA12, PA 6.12, and PA 4.10), the XEGLASS® 3DP family represents the range of thermoplastic composites highly reinforced with glass fibre.
Due to their stiffness and mechanical resistance, these materials are used for specific structural application, while also being able to withstand stress and creep.
Thanks to the high amount of glass fibre reinforcement, which can be as much as 65%, these materials find applications in industries like automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods manufacturing.
XEBRID™ 3DP
XEBRID™ 3DP materials’ family includes thermoplastic composites reinforced with carbon fibre and glass fibre.
This combination of fibres in different percentages offers the advantages of both types of reinforcement: lightness and stiffness offered by carbon fibre and mechanical and physical characteristics of glass fibre.
Due to its properties, the XEBRID™ 3DP family finds application in the metal-replacement field, where costs and performances optimization is essential. Furthermore, these materials can also benefit other areas, like sporting equipment, aeronautics and mobility and transportation, which require lightweight parts with excellent mechanical properties and good processability.
XELIGHT® 3DP
Xelight® 3DP is Xenia’s family of Ultra-light PEBA-based compounds, a thermoplastic elastomer engineered for lightweight and flexible properties.
Based on Arkema’s Pebax® materials group, which offers low density (up to 0.87 g/cm3), efficient energy return and cold temperature durability, these Ultra-light compounds ensure high impact strength, also at low temperatures, great flexibility, and excellent rebound.
Thanks to all these properties, these materials are ideal for applications in sectors such as the sport & leisure and electronical field.
XEGREEN® 3DP
As the product name suggests, Xenia’s XEGREEN® 3DP materials represent Xenia sustainable family of rigorously selected recycled compounds.
This family of 3D printing materials includes compounds based on PA6, PA66, PP, PET-G, PEBA and PA12, each of these that can be reinforced with recycled carbon fiber to a percentage of 50%.
The target of the company is to ensure for all the grades in the family similar properties to the company’s standard XECARB® 3DP grades. Due to the comparable properties of these recycled materials in terms of processability, mechanical properties and electrical characteristics, the XEGREEN® 3DP range is suitable for a variety of industrial applications, including 3D printing tools, molds and other production aids.
Going deeply in Xenia’s portfolio of materials, its polymer bases are divided into amorphous and semicrystalline polymers and can withstand continuous use temperatures up to 350°C. In combination with structural reinforcements and, in particular, with carbon fibre, it is possible to obtain solutions with a tensile moduli up to 40000 MPa, tuning the percentage of carbon fibre (which can reach up to 50%) and the base polymer.
Xenia’s 3D printing materials are said to display high stiffness, dimensional stability and low density, as well as low thermal expansion and high service life at both high and low temperatures. Its polymers also provide excellent electrical insulation properties, and thanks to the intrinsic properties of the carbon fibre, can also boast electrical conductivity with a surface resistivity up to 102 Ω, thereby permitting the adoption of plastic parts in ATEEX environments.
Thanks to the addition of fillers, such as graphite and special ceramics dispersed in the polymer matrix, carbon fibre can lend thermal conductivity values higher than 15 W/mK. Thermally conductive compounds can therefore efficiently transfer heat even through plastic elements, with multiple advantages in terms of weight, chemical resistance, processability, environmental impact and overall costs compared to metals like aluminium.
Together with these features, the company is also able to functionalise its materials to limit friction and wear between elements in relative motion like gears, bushings and bearings, cams, pins, sliding surfaces, and so on. Unlike metal or ceramic solutions, these materials do not require external lubricants or maintenance, ensuring cleanliness and reliability over time. The polymer bases are modified with graphite and molybdenum disulphide, with silicon, PTFE and UHMWPE to drastically reduce the static and dynamic friction coefficient, or with aramid fibres to limit wear and abrasion. A solution for every pressure, speed, load and temperature requirement.
Xenia Materials will exhibit at the TCT3Sixty event in Birmingham on June 5-6, 2024, showcasing their advanced composite materials at Booth J30.
