Stainless Steel 316L Filamet Pellets
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316L stainless steel Filamet™ pellets

TVF-PELLETS-SS316L-1KG
399.80 € 399.80 €
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Filamet™ 316L stainless steel pellets are small cylinders composed of PLA with 316L stainless steel filler. These pellets are composed of more than 80% metal and the rest PLA.

PLA (polylactic acid) is a biodegradable plastic obtained from natural resources such as starch extracted from corn, sugar beet and wheat. PLA is one of the most widely used materials in 3D printing today because it does not give off harmful gases and is easy to print.

316L Stainless Steel is an austenitic, low carbon, chromium nickel molybdenum stainless steel. It is antimagnetic in its annealed state and cannot be hardened by heat treatment. However, it has good forming properties, gaining strength by deformation. This has the disadvantage of requiring higher stresses to deform it. Its good ductility, tensile strength, heat resistance and corrosion resistance even at elevated temperatures, make 316L stainless steel used in many industrial applications.

Gear with 316L stainless steel

Image 1. Gear made from 316L stainless steel without sintering. Source: The Virtual Foundry.

In addition to the intrinsic properties of 316L steel, The Virtual Foundry's (TVF) Filamet™ 316L stainless steel pellets are perfect for 3D printing, achieving high print quality, and stand out from other metal-filled materials by allowing the user to obtain all-metal parts after a sintering process.

During the sintering process the PLA is removed, resulting in fully metallic parts with the real properties of metal, but with some porosity and a reduction in volume due to the loss of PLA.

Filamet™ 316L stainless steel pellets are free of exposed metal particles and volatile solvents that may be released during the 3D printing process, making it a safe material for 3D printing. In addition, due to their PLA content, they are very easy to process. There are several methods for using pellets in 3D printing:

  • Filamet™ 316L stainless steel pellets can be used in the manufacture of filament for FDM 3D printers using Filastruder or any other filament extruder.
  • It is possible to use a pellet extruder directly.

When using 316L Filamet™ stainless steel pellets to manufacture filament with a filament extruder such as Filastruder or using a pellet extruder for direct 3D printing, it should be noted that the extrusion temperature must be regulated in relation to the extrusion speed used. For optimal results, it is recommended to read the product's usage tips.

General information
Material Metal + binder
Format 1 kg
Density 3.5 g/cm³
Amount of filler (volume) 66 %
Amount of filler (mass) 82 %

Thermal properties
Melting temperature - ºC
Softening temperature - ºC
Processing temperature 225 ºC
MFR Ratio -
Glass transition temperature - ºC
Heat deflexion temperature - ºC

Sintering properties
Container Refractory crucible
Refractory powder Al2O3
Maximum temperature 1260 ºC

Specific properties
Transparency -
Radiation protection (without sintering) ✗

Other
HS Code 7205.21

Due to the high amount of metal particles, clogging may occur in nozzles with a diameter of 0.4 mm, so it is recommended to use nozzles with an outlet diameter of more than 0.5 mm.

As far as infill, the average recommended amount is 30-70 % but it largely depends on what kind of part the user wants to obtain and whether the part will be sintered or not. For more indepth information please watch this video:

Video 1: The recommended infill for the TVF materials. Source: TVF.

It is very important to store 316L stainless steel PLA pellets in an airtight bag to prevent them from absorbing moisture from the environment before use. If the pellets have moisture in them, the filament to be manufactured may contain small imperfections.

Once the filament has been manufactured using PLA pellets, it is also recommended to store the filament in a dry place or in an airtight bag. This prevents the filament from absorbing moisture, thus obtaining better results during 3D printing.

Whether using a filament extruder such as Filastruder or a direct pellet extruder, parts 3D printed with 316L stainless steel pellets must undergo a sintering process to achieve all-metal parts:

Sintering process

Necessary materials:

  • Metallurgical furnace
  • Refractory crucible
  • Refractory powder
  • Sinter carbon

STEP 1: Placing the piece

  1. Fill the crucible with refractory powder leaving 40 mm free on the surface of the crucible.
  2. Immerse the piece in the refractory powder making sure to leave a gap of at least 15 mm between the surface of the piece and the walls and upper and lower parts of the crucible. The refractory powder must not be compacted.
  3. Fill the free 40 mm on the surface of the crucible with sinter carbon.
  4. Place the crucible in the furnace.

STEP 2: Thermal debind

  1. Heat up to 204 ºC.
  2. Keep at 204 ºC for 2 hours.
  3. Heat up to 427 ºC at a speed of 1.86 ºC/min.
  4. Keep at 427 ºC for 2 hours.

STEP 3: Sintering

  1. Heat up to 593 ºC at a speed of 1.86 ºC/min.
  2. Keep at 593 ºC for 2 hours.
  3. Heat up to 1260 ºC at a speed of 5.5 ºC/min
  4. Keep at 1260°C for 4 hours*.

STEP 4: Cooling

  1. Cooling up to 593 ºC at a speed of 0.18 ºC/min
  2. Allow to cool to room temperature.
* Recommended time for a cube up to 50mm. For larger pieces it will be necessary to increase the time.

Users who do not have a furnace with the necessary properties to sinter the parts printed with Filamet™ 316L stainless steel and achieve the final properties of this metal, can contact us and we will assess their viability through our collaborators with the capacity to carry out the post-processing necessary to obtain the desired final result.

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