Polystyrene recycled
Recycled polystyrene (rPS) is a specialty material for the G1. It is not a standard Ginger Additive material — printing parameters must be determined experimentally per batch, as composition varies significantly depending on the source.
Why print with recycled PS
Section titled “Why print with recycled PS”- PS is among the most common post-consumer plastics (packaging, foam cups, CD cases)
- When available as clean recycled pellets, it can be printed on the G1 as a low-cost specialty material
- Useful for industrial recycling projects and circular economy applications
Challenges
Section titled “Challenges”| Challenge | Detail |
|---|---|
| High shrinkage | PS shrinks significantly on cooling → warping, especially on flat parts |
| Brittleness | Printed parts are more brittle than PLA or PETG |
| Variable composition | Recycled PS batches can contain HIPS, ABS, or other styrenic copolymers — each batch may behave differently |
| Moisture | Amorphous PS absorbs little moisture, but contaminated recycled batches can foam |
| Fumes | PS produces styrene fumes when heated — print in a well-ventilated area or with fume extraction. See Safety and fumes |
| Vacuum feeding issues | Recycled PS pellets are often lighter than standard pellets — the suction cycle (hardcoded 3–5 s) may be insufficient to fully load the hopper. Raise the pellet bucket closer to the machine and use a short tube. |
| Static charge | PS generates significant electrostatic charge during transport in the corrugated tube. Pellets can stick to the tube walls, reducing feed rate. Grounding the tube or using a conductive tube reduces this. |
Starting print settings (experimental)
Section titled “Starting print settings (experimental)”These are initial reference values only — tune per batch:
| Parameter | Starting value |
|---|---|
| Feeding Zone (T0) | 240°C |
| Melting Zone (T1) | 250°C |
| Nozzle Zone (T2) | 250°C |
| Bed temperature | 70°C |
| Bed surface | Glass + adhesive spray |
| Print speed | 20–30 mm/s (very slow for shredded material) |
| Max Volumetric Speed | 250 mm³/s |
| Nozzle | 3 mm recommended |
SmoothFlow
Section titled “SmoothFlow”- Test with a small dose (0.5 g/kg) — PS may not require lubrication if it flows well
- Do not exceed 1 g/kg
- Recycled PS with nozzles larger than 3 mm may struggle with degraded or inconsistent material — use 3 mm as a maximum for unknown batches
- Black specks or odor changes during printing indicate degraded or contaminated material — stop and purge
- For flame-retardant PS grades (common in electronics recycling): the FR additives may produce additional fumes — use exhaust ventilation