# Z-Polymers

> Z-Polymers is a Lowell, Massachusetts materials science company that emerged from the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub to build Tullomer, a PFAS-free liquid crystal super-polymer spun into ultra-fine fibers and 3D-printing filament. Founded in 2021 by materials scientist Dr. Michael Zimmerman, the company claims strength up to four times that of PEEK - and up to six times stronger than steel at a sixth of the weight - while printing on desktop machines without annealing. Its materials target aerospace, defense, medical devices, energy, and functional fabrics, and in 2026 it secured a strategic seed investment and joint development agreement with Japan's Kureha Corporation.

- **Founded:** 2021
- **Headquarters:** Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Dr. Michael Zimmerman (Founder & CEO)
- **Team size:** ~14 employees
- **Products:** Tullomer, Tullomer 3D Printing Filament, Ultra-Fine Monofilament Fiber
- **Notable:** Developed Tullomer, a PFAS-free liquid crystal super-polymer, from university research to a shipping product in about three years., Commercially launched Tullomer 3D printing filament in 2024 through Dynamism and MatterHackers., Selected as one of the first two awardees of AFFOA's Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF) program.

## Products & services

- **Tullomer** — A proprietary PFAS-free liquid crystal super-polymer engineered for extreme environments, offering flame resistance, low outgassing, cryogenic stability, high-temperature capability, and UV durability.
- **Tullomer 3D Printing Filament** — A 1.75mm high-strength filament (sold in 500g and 1kg spools) that prints at lower temperatures than PEEK, requires no annealing, and runs on both desktop and industrial high-temperature printers. Sold via Dynamism and MatterHackers, roughly $500 per kilogram.
- **Ultra-Fine Monofilament Fiber** — Melt-spun monofilament fiber developed at UMass Lowell for aerospace, defense, medical, energy, and functional-fabric applications - positioned as an aramid-priced alternative with higher strength.

## Achievements

- Developed Tullomer, a PFAS-free liquid crystal super-polymer, from university research to a shipping product in about three years.
- Commercially launched Tullomer 3D printing filament in 2024 through Dynamism and MatterHackers.
- Selected as one of the first two awardees of AFFOA's Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF) program.
- Secured a strategic seed investment and joint development agreement with Kureha Corporation in March 2026.
- Claims mechanical strength more than four times that of PEEK at competitive aramid-fiber pricing.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Announced strategic seed investment and joint development agreement with Kureha Corporation to accelerate global commercialization of the Tullomer fiber platform.
- **2025-07** — Featured in Textile Technology Source for polymer science and textile problem-solving work coming out of Lowell.
- **2024-12** — Tullomer filament drew wide coverage (Hackaday, Fabbaloo) for claims of beating PEEK, aluminum, and steel - along with public skepticism about the metal comparisons.
- **2024-01** — Commercially introduced Tullomer additive-manufacturing filament through resellers Dynamism and MatterHackers.

## Links

- Website: https://z-polymers.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/z-polymers
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Z-PolymersInc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zpolymers2021
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zpolymers

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/z-polymers
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-02