Toray Unveils Spherical PA12 Particles for Enhanced 3D Printing
- Toray developed Toraypearl™ PA12, a spherical PA12 powder for PBF-type 3D printers.
- Conventional PA12 powders make up about 70% of the polymer PBF market.
- Toraypearl™ PA12 improves surface smoothness by 2.5× and impact strength by over 2×.
- Sample evaluations with selected customers began in January 2026.
Introduction
Toray Industries has developed Toraypearl™ PA12, a spherical polyamide 12 powder compatible with powder bed fusion (PBF)-type 3D printers. This innovation leverages Toray's proprietary polymer particle engineering technology.
Challenges with Conventional PA12
Traditional PA12 powders, which account for about 70% of the polymer PBF market, consist of irregularly shaped particles. This irregularity leads to uneven packing, rough surfaces, and internal micro-voids, reducing density and impact strength.
Advantages of Toraypearl™ PA12
Toraypearl™ PA12's uniform spherical shape allows for dense and homogeneous powder packing. This results in significantly improved surface smoothness, approximately 2.5 times better, and enhanced impact strength, more than twice as strong as conventional powders.
Applications and Testing
Toraypearl™ PA12 is expected to enhance the quality of 3D-printed parts, particularly in applications requiring durability, airtightness, and mechanical reliability. Sample evaluations with selected customers have been underway since January 2026.
Source: Toray