Jabil Inc. introduced PK 5000, a powder-based additive material made from polyketone resin, a low-carbon material utilizing carbon monoxide. The material offers improved strength, chemical resistance, and resilience compared with general-purpose nylon materials and may also reduce overall carbon footprint, the company shared. Potential applications include automotive, consumer electronics, defense, medical, and industrial manufacturing.

“Our latest engineered material will disrupt the market for powder-bed fusion technologies by improving upon existing polymers to offer enhanced processing and performance properties,” explained Matt Torosian, director, product management, Jabil Additive, in a news release. “With PK 5000, we are introducing new innovations to meet a broad range of customer requirements while accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing.”  

PK 5000 was created, tested, and validated at Jabil’s Materials Innovation Center in Chaska, MN. The material delivers a combination of chemical and mechanical properties, including high-impact strength, high-abrasion resistance, and improved elongation over other nylon materials, to withstand functional testing and use, the company reported. Also, its high-barrier properties and low-moisture absorption may support requirements of parts and products exposed to fuel and water.

EOS, Farsoon, and 3D Systems are currently evaluating PK 5000 for their printer platforms. For instance, Don Xu, global business director, Farsoon Technologies, said that "when combined with the latest in additive technology, such as Farsoon’s high-speed Flight LPBF systems, this new material will unlock true production scale for polymer additive manufacturing.”