一个数字先甩出来：PCL的熔点，大约只有六十摄氏度。
什么概念？你把它攥在手心，体温就能让它变软；扔进六十度的热水里，它直接化成一团。全球做3D打印的圈子，早就把这种"低温可熔、慢慢降解"的料玩出花了。可做改性、做耗材的厂子，一提PCL副牌就发怵——觉得这料熔点这么低，肯定是边角料、不能用。
这恰恰是个误会。今天把PCL讲透。
PCL是什么，为什么连手温都化
PCL，聚己内酯。它是拿己内酯开环聚合出来的一种脂肪族聚酯。熔点六十度上下，玻璃化温度在零下六十度左右，常温下是种又韧又软、带点橡胶手感的料。
它最特别的有两点。第一，低温可熔，六十度就能加工，加热能耗极低。第二，降解路子靠水解——它在体内或土壤里，先慢慢吸水水解断链，再被微生物吃掉，这个过程慢得很，往往要两四年。正因为慢、又能被人体吸收，它在药物缓释、可吸收缝线、骨科模板里用得很多；正因为低温可熔，它成了3D打印柔性耗材、模型手板的热门料。
把这一点跟前面几位摆一块儿看就清楚了。PBS、PBSA、PBST是堆肥里才跑得快，PCL是常温下慢慢水解，慢到能在体内撑完一整个疗程再被吸收。所以做医疗缓释的爱它——降解时间刚好跟药效周期对得上；做3D打印的也爱它——六十度熔，喷嘴不用烧得滚烫，打柔性件又软又弹。一料两用，脾气却怪。
全球做PCL的国外大厂，主要是这三家：瑞典Perstorp、德国BASF、日本大赛璐（Daicel）。深圳光华伟业这类国内玩家今天不展开。
副牌规矩，先立好再讲厂
老规矩，先把副牌说清楚。
副牌是同一厂家同一牌号里，出厂检验没完全踩到正牌指标的部分。同一批开环聚合料，全项合格贴正牌，某一两个指标差一点归副牌。原厂原生粒子，分子结构跟正牌一条线，不是粉碎回炉。
四个来源：开停车头尾料、牌号切换过渡料、工艺波动个别指标小幅超标的批次、副线尾料。边界划死：正牌全达标；副牌个别指标小偏、基材没换；回料是加工边角料回炉，多一道热；再生料是废塑料再造，性能飘忽。PCL本身就软、就黏，这四类料混了尤其难分。
Perstorp：CAPA招牌，己内酯全球头一份
瑞典Perstorp，挂着CAPA这块老招牌，是全球ε-己内酯及其衍生物的老牌大厂，产能常年排在头一份。CAPA系列PCL树脂和多元醇，在聚氨酯、涂料、医疗改性里都是标杆。
它家副牌的特点是工艺体系成熟，副牌粒子分子量分布跟正牌差距小，常见偏离在熔点或分子量。用在不进人体的3D打印耗材、手板模型、改性增韧基料上，非常顺。大包装小包装都在流通。
BASF：Capromer，把PCL做进聚氨酯体系
第二家德国BASF，Capromer系列PCL多元醇，把PCL做进聚氨酯、热熔胶体系，全球份额排在前列。它家强项在PCL多元醇和改性配套。
它家副牌常见偏离在羟值和分子量。这种料拿去做热熔胶增韧、做3D打印柔性丝材的基料，性价比很高。注意羟值偏差会直接影响下游聚氨酯配比，用之前先测。
大赛璐Daicel：Celgreen，日本的PCL老玩家
第三家日本大赛璐（Daicel），挂Celgreen（也叫PLACCEL）牌子，是亚洲PCL市场的主力，大阪起家，做PCL树脂和多元醇。
它家副牌特点是批次相对稳，熔指和熔点偶尔跳出正牌区间。用在3D打印耗材、柔性模型、一般改性制品上，手感和加工性都很成熟。
PCL副牌，开机前先过这三关
PCL副牌挑货，别拿它当普通工程料。它熔点低、容易黏，挑错了上机就堵头。
下手之前，熔点先过手——六十度上下差个两三度，挤出温度就得跟着调；分子量分布先过机——分子量一飘，丝材直径就忽粗忽细；再跟你要做的打印丝材公差先对表，直径、圆度对上了，才往挤出机里倒。三样齐了再开机。
安徽蚌埠有家做柔性3D打印耗材的客户，之前贪便宜进了一柜没测熔点的PCL副牌，挤出的时候丝材直径忽粗忽细，打出来的模型层纹全崩。后来改成先过手测熔点、再过机测分子量、对表核丝材公差，三层过完才放量，丝材圆度合格率从六成拉到九成八，打印件层纹也干净了。这就是把PCL的低熔点脾气摸透的价值。宁波市科隆新材料有限公司做进口PCL副牌这些年，最常帮耗材厂干的就是把这三关卡住。
科隆仓库现货｜PCL换货
主推品牌：瑞典Perstorp（CAPA）、德国巴斯夫BASF（Capromer）、日本大赛璐Daicel（Celgreen）。
主要牌号：CAPA、Capromer、Celgreen（PLACCEL）。
包装规格：大包装、小包装都有，小包装试机打样，大包装、吨包料量产摊薄。
仓库现货：PCL副牌仓库现货通常在5000吨左右，常年备货不断档。
其中小包副牌备货800-1000吨、箱装副牌备货300-500吨、大包料/吨包料备货3500-3900吨，按订单配比灵活出。
供应保障：先测后签，指标对上再放货。
收尾：四句选料口诀
PCL副牌，四句记牢：
一，熔点、分子量、丝材公差，三样先过再开机；
二，做柔性耗材、做手板模型、做改性基料，副牌够使；
三，进人体、做植入件，老老实实上医疗级正牌；
四，原厂原生开环聚合粒子，别把回料再生料当副牌捡。
做3D打印耗材、做PCL改性的，谁没被低熔点坑过？是丝材挤出忽粗忽细？还是打印件黏喷嘴？又或是贪便宜进的料根本不是一个分子量档？
Here's a number: PCL's melting point is about 60 degrees Celsius.
What does that mean? If you hold it in your palm, your body temperature will make it soft; If you throw it into 60°C hot water, it instantly melts into a ball. The global 3D printing community has long been playing with this "meltable at low temperature, slowly degradable" material. Factories that make modification or consumables get nervous just by mentioning the PCL sub-brand—thinking that with such a low melting point, it's definitely scrap material and unusable.
This is exactly a misunderstanding. Today, let's thoroughly explain PCL. What is
PCL? Why does it even melt
PCL from hand temperature , polycaprolactone? It is an aliphatic polyester formed by opening the ring polymerization of caprolactone. Its melting point is around 60 degrees Celsius, and the vitrification temperature is around minus 60 degrees Celsius. At room temperature, it is tough and soft with a slightly rubbery feel.
It has two distinctive features. First, it can be melted at low temperatures, processing at 60 degrees Celsius, with extremely low heating energy consumption. Second, the degradation method relies on hydrolysis—it first slowly absorbs water and breaks the chains in the body or soil, then is eaten by microorganisms, a very slow process, often taking two to four years. Because it is slow and absorbable by the human body, it is widely used in drug sustained release, absorbable sutures, and orthopedic templates; Because it melts at low temperatures, it has become a popular material for flexible 3D printing consumables and prototypes.
Just put this alongside the previous few and it will be clear. PBS, PBSA, and PBST only run fast in compost; PCL hydrolyzes slowly at room temperature, slow enough to last the entire course of treatment in the body before being absorbed. So those doing medical sustained release love it—its degradation time matches the drug release cycle; 3D printing people love it too—melting at 60 degrees, nozzles don't need to be burned hot, flexible parts are soft and springy. Dual-purpose but quirky temper.
The major foreign companies making PCL worldwide mainly are these three: Sweden's Perstorp, Germany's BASF, and Japan's Daicel. Domestic players like Shenzhen Guanghua Weiye won't go into detail today.
Sub-brand rules, set the rules before factory
Old rules, first clarify the sub-brand.
Sub-brand refers to parts of the same manufacturer and grade that did not fully meet the genuine brand standards during factory inspection. For the same batch of open-ring polymer material, all items are qualified and labeled as genuine; if one or two indicators are slightly lacking, it is classified as a secondary brand. Original factory virgin particles have molecular structure aligned with genuine grades, not crushed and remelted.
Four sources: starting and stopping head scraps, grade switching transition materials, batch with slight exceedances due to process fluctuations, and secondary line scraps. Boundary marking: genuine products all meet standards; Secondary brands have minor off-label indicators, no substrate replaced; Reprocessed scraps are reprocessed scraps and re-smelted, adding extra heat; Recycled materials are recycled from waste plastic, with unstable performance. PCL is inherently soft and sticky; mixing these four types is especially hard to distinguish.
Perstorp: CAPA brand, the world's first caprolactone
Sweden Perstorp, carrying the old CAPA brand, is a leading global manufacturer of ε-caprolactone and its derivatives, with production capacity ranking first for years. The CAPA series of PCL resins and polyols are benchmarks in polyurethane, coatings, and medical modification.
's sub-brand features mature process systems, with small molecular weight distribution differences from genuine brands, often deviating from melting point or molecular weight. They are very smooth for 3D printing consumables, prototype models, and modified toughening base materials that do not enter the human body. Both large and small packages circulate in circulation.
BASF: Capromer, which integrates PCL into polyurethane systems
The second German company BASF, Capromer's series of PCL polyols, integrates PCL into polyurethane and hot melt adhesive systems, ranking among the top globally. Their strength lies in PCL polyol and modified compatibility.
Their sub-brand often deviates in hydroxyl value and molecular weight. This material is used for hot melt adhesive toughening and as a base material for 3D printing flexible yarn, offering great cost performance. Note that hydroxyl value deviations directly affect downstream polyurethane formulations, so measure before use.
Daicel: Celgreen, a veteran player in Japan's PCL
The third Japanese Daicel, also known as PLACCEL, is a mainstay in the Asian PCL market, starting in Osaka and specializing in PCL resins and polyols.
Their secondary brand is characterized by relatively stable batches, with melting fingers and points occasionally outside the official brand's range. Used in 3D printing consumables, flexible models, and general modified products, it has a mature feel and processability.
PCL sub-brand, pass these three steps before startup
PCL select the sub-brand, don't treat it as ordinary engineering material. It has a low melting point and sticks easily; if you pick it wrong, it will cause blockages when loaded.
Before you start, check the melting point first—if the difference is two or three degrees around sixty degrees, the extrusion temperature must be adjusted accordingly; Molecular weight distribution passes the machine first—once the molecular weight fluctuates, the wire diameter fluctuates between thick and thin; Then compare the tolerances with the printing wire material you want to make; once the diameter and roundness match, pour it into the extruder. Once all three are ready, start the machine.
In Bengbu, Anhui, there is a client specializing in flexible 3D printing consumables. Previously, they bought a cabinet of PCL sub-brands without melting point measurement, and during extrusion, the wire diameter fluctuated between thick and thin, causing all the laminated patterns on the printed model to collapse. Later, it was changed to first hand testing melting point, then machine molecular weight measurement, and surface core wire tolerances. After passing these three layers, the volume was increased, raising the pass rate for filament roundness from 60% to 98%, and the print layer patterns were also clean. This is the value of thoroughly understanding PCL's low melting point temperament. Ningbo Cologne New Materials Co., Ltd. has been doing imported PCL sub-brands for years, and the most common task for consumables manufacturers is to lock these three checkpoints.
Cologne warehouse stock | PCL exchange
Main brands: Sweden's Perstorp (CAPA), Germany's BASF (Capromer), Japan's Daicel (Celgreen).
Main grades: CAPA, Capromer, Celgreen (PLACCEL).
Packaging Specifications: Both large and small packages are available. Small packages are tested and sampled, large packages and ton-ton packaging are mass-produced and thinned.
Warehouse Stock: PCL sub-brand warehouses usually have stock around 5000 tons, with constant stock availability year-round.
Among them, small sub-brand stocks are 800-1000 tons, boxed sub-brand stocks are 300-500 tons, and large packages/ton packages are 3500-3900 tons, flexibly distributed according to order ratios.
Supply Assurance: Test first, then sign; only release after indicators are met.
Conclusion: Four material selection tips
PCL the second card, remember these four key points:
1. Melting point, molecular weight, wire material tolerance—pass these three first, then start the machine;
2. Make flexible consumables, prototype models, modified base materials—the secondary brand is sufficient;
3. Insert into the human body and make implants—honestly get medical-grade official products;
4. Original factory open-loop polymer particles—don't treat recycled materials as a secondary brand.
Making 3D printing consumables or PCL modification—who hasn't been tricked by low melting points? Is it that the wire material is extruded from being coarse or fine? Or is it printed parts stuck to the nozzle? Or is it that the material bought cheaply is not even in the same molecular weight range?
