# Nanopack

> Reference notes on materials: nanoscale materials in food packaging (barrier nanocomposites, active and intelligent packaging, EU and US regulation) and 3D printing materials (PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon, polycarbonate, carbon fibre and graphene filled filaments). Every number is sourced on the page.

## 3D printing materials

- [3D printing filament types: materials compared and when to use each](https://nanopack.org/materials/3d-printing-filament-types/): PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon and polycarbonate are the main FDM filament types, alongside carbon fibre, glass fibre, wood and metal-filled versions and soluble PVA, BVOH and HIPS support materials. Printed PLA has a heat deflection temperature of about 55-60 °C, PETG 68-78 °C, ASA and ABS roughly 86-118 °C and polycarbonate blends about 111-114 °C, depending on brand and test load.
- [PLA vs PETG vs ABS (and ASA): which filament for which job](https://nanopack.org/materials/pla-vs-petg-vs-abs/): PLA is the stiffest and easiest of the three to print, but it softens at about 55-60 °C and has the poorest creep and UV resistance. PETG is tougher than PLA and bends before it breaks, prints without an enclosure, and holds its shape to roughly 70-80 °C.
- [Carbon fiber, glass fiber and graphene filaments: what the filler changes](https://nanopack.org/materials/carbon-fiber-graphene-filament/): Carbon fiber filament is a normal PLA, PETG or nylon filament filled with chopped carbon fibers well under a millimeter long, which mainly raise stiffness and dimensional stability. In same-brand data sheets, carbon fiber nearly tripled the tensile modulus of ColorFabb's copolyester while tensile strength stayed at about 55 MPa and notched impact strength halved.

## Packaging science

- [Nanotechnology in food packaging](https://nanopack.org/packaging/nanotechnology-food-packaging/): Nanotechnology in food packaging uses particles, platelets or fibres with at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nm to improve barrier and mechanical properties, to make packs active, or to add sensing functions. The EU definition of nanomaterial is set by Commission Recommendation 2022/C 229/01, which replaced Recommendation 2011/696/EU and uses a 50% number threshold for particles of 1-100 nm.
- [Active vs intelligent packaging: definitions, examples and EU rules](https://nanopack.org/packaging/active-vs-intelligent-packaging/): Active packaging absorbs substances from the food or its headspace, or releases substances into them, to extend shelf life or maintain the condition of the food. Intelligent packaging monitors the condition of packaged food or its surroundings and communicates it, for example through a time-temperature indicator or a freshness indicator.

## Site

- [About](https://nanopack.org/about/): scope, method and sourcing.
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