Toray Industries, Inc. announced that it has developed Toraypearl™ polyamide (PA) 12, a truly spherical PA12 powder widely compatible with powder bed fusion (PBF)-type 3D printers. Leveraging Toray’s proprietary polymer particle engineering technology, the new material enables both excellent surface smoothness and high impact strength in 3D-printed parts.
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Overcame density challenges with proprietary technology
PBF-type 3D printing is widely adopted in industrial applications due to its ability to efficiently create parts with high dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength. Conventional PA12 powders account for approximately 70% of feedstock in this polymer PBF market, owing to their good processability at relatively low temperatures.
However, conventional PA12 powders typically consist of irregularly shaped particles, which hinder uniform packing and result in parts with rough surfaces that require post-processing such as polishing. In addition, gaps between particles tend to generate internal micro-voids, leading to reduced density and preventing the material from fully exhibiting its inherent mechanical properties, including impact strength.
Toray overcame these challenges by drawing on its proprietary spherical particle technology, backed by years of polyamide polymerization and resin processing R&D, as well as its experience supplying Toraypearl™ PA6, a highly heat-resistant spherical PA6 particle, for such 3D-printing applications as automotive components, office chairs, and power tools.
2x impact strength
By applying this spherical particle technology to PA12, Toray successfully developed Toraypearl™ PA12, a new material compatible with a wide range of PBF-type 3D printing. Compared with its conventional counterparts, the uniform spherical shape enables dense and homogeneous powder packing, resulting in:
- Significantly improved surface smoothness(approximately 2.5× improvement, surface roughness Ra ≈ 7 μm)
- Enhanced impact strength(more than 2× improvement, Charpy impact strength: 50 kJ/m2)
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Toraypearl™ PA12 is expected to contribute to higher quality 3D-printed parts in applications requiring durability, airtightness, and mechanical reliability, thereby expanding its potential use in both prototypes and functional parts. Sample evaluations with selected customers have been underway since January 2026.
To date, Toray has steadily expanded its portfolio of resin materials for 3D printers, including the launch of “Toraymill™ PPS,” polyphenylene sulfide resin milled powder, in 2017 for applications such as electric vehicles and aerospace, and “Toraypearl™ PA6” in 2022.
With the addition of Toraypearl™ PA12, Toray further strengthens its lineup to meet the growing global demand for high performance materials in the 3D printing market.
Guided by its corporate philosophy, “contributing to society through the creation of new value with innovative ideas, technologies and products,” Toray remains committed to delivering innovative materials that support industrial advancement and sustainable growth.
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