High-carbon steel Filamet™ pellets

Filamet™ high carbon steel pellets are small cylinders composed of PLA with a high carbon steel filler. These pellets are composed of more than 75% 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.

High-carbon steel is an alloy made of iron and a percentage of carbon, up to 2 %, which gives it hardness and high strength, sacrificing typical advantages of steel, such as ease of welding. Carbon steels are so designated to differentiate them from stainless steels and alloy steels. Steel is a metal used in an infinite number of applications thanks to its ease of obtaining the raw material, easy processing and great knowledge of alloying and forming. In order to obtain steels with a high carbon content, it is necessary to heat treat the steel to obtain 0.3 to 1.7 % by weight of carbon. This process is delicate due to the appearance of impurities that reduce the quality of the steel, and it is necessary to alloy the metal with other elements. Although it may seem a complex and not very productive process, high-carbon steel is indispensable for the manufacture of products needed at industrial and domestic level: cores of electromagnets, tools, cutting objects, springs, high-strength wires, etc.

In addition to the intrinsic properties of high carbon steel, Filamet™ high carbon steel pellets from The Virtual Foundry (TVF) 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™ carbon steel pellets are free of exposed metal particles and volatile solvents that may be released during the 3D printing process, making them 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™ high carbon 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 Filamet™ high carbon steel pellets to make 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.