Glow PLA with Nextruder ObXidian Nozzle - How Slow to Print?
I have some Glow PLA that I want to try printing with my .4mm ObXidian Nozzle. E3D suggests that glow filaments are about the only thing that could foul up the hardened finish. Before I wreck my expensive nozzle that I mainly got for CF filaments, does anyone have experience printing Glow PLA through this nozzle without ruining it? E3D suggests in their FAQ that print speed may have an impact (copied below for reference). How slow is slow enough to avoid impact?
Should I abandon my Glow PLA, or buy another more disposable nozzle to let it ablate?
Is it possible to wear an ObXidian Nozzle?
UV-reactive/ “glow in the dark” filaments include an additive called Strontium Aluminate. Strontium Aluminate is very hard. So hard, in fact, that when printed at very high movement speeds, the deposited layers begin to work like sandpaper. We’ve found these conditions to be capable of removing the E3DLC coating and therefore can have a permanent impact on the wear resistance of the nozzle.
We’re not saying you need to totally avoid using glow in the dark. We’ve successfully run multiple kilograms of glow in the dark filament through an ObXidian Nozzle without seeing any impact to the nozzle's performance. Turns out it’s a lot more complicated than wear being proportional to speed, but we’ve been using the Prusa MK3S+ with the 0.2 Quality settings with good success for most model geometries. If in doubt, print slow.