PLA is a biodegradable thermoplastic which is derived from renewable resources, such as cornstarch, sugar cane, tapioca roots or even potato starch. This makes of PLA the most environmentally friendly solution in the domain of 3D printing, compared to all the other petrochemical-based plastics like ABS or PVA. PLA is used for example in medical suturing as well as surgical implants. PLA is tough, but a little brittle, once it has cooled down. Its temperature threshold is lower than the one of ABS, as PLA is normally extruded around 160C-220C. A heated printbed is not mandatory, but it may (at temperatures around 50-60¡ãC) be beneficial to the quality of the printed object. PLA is quite slow to cool ¨C experts recommend sometimes to install a fan pointed at the extruded material in order to speed up the cooling process. Once it is heated, PLA does emit a slight odor, best described as sweet corn, pancakes or maple syrup ¨C but it does not emit fumes like heated ABS. No fume hood will be necessary and you may safely print with PLA in-house.
