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Filamet Zirconium Silicate Zircopax®

The Virtual Foundry

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124,50 €
124,50 €

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PLA based filament with 60% zirconium silicate to create 100% ceramic parts.

Filamet™ Zirconium Silicate Zircopax® is a filament developed by The Virtual Foundry (TVF), a pioneer in the development of filaments that, with a post-processing process using sintering, allow to obtain completely metallic or ceramic parts, maintaining the natural properties of the materials.

Filamet™ Zirconium Silicate Zircopax® is a filament composed of 60% zirconium silicate and the rest of PLA, being the filament with the highest ceramic load of those developed by The Virtual Foundry.

Zirconium silicate is a ceramic material noted for its high hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale. It is a material with refractory properties and a high resistance to corrosion and alkalis. It is a material commonly used in ceramics, glazes and glazed ceramics.

Thanks to its PLA content, this filament is very easy to print, as its printing properties are similar to those of PLA, allowing any FDM 3D printer user to produce parts with this material.

Once a part has been printed, it is necessary to carry out the sintering process, in an open environment or in a vacuum or inert environment, bearing in mind that the sintering values must be adjusted according to the geometry and furnace model. The product obtained is totally ceramic, but with certain porosity and a reduction in volume due to the loss of PLA.

Currently, a large list of industry sectors are using the various filaments developed by The Virtual Foundry: 3D printer manufacturers, biomedical innovation, jet engine development, radiation shielding, space exploration, nuclear energy, dental, artists or fashion design. One notable application is the manufacture of an internally heated hot water drill bit for drilling in Antarctica. With copper Filamet™, a drill bit with an internal structure that is extremely difficult to machine or mould has been manufactured very easily and at low cost. Another notable application is the printing of radiation shielding containers using tungsten Filamet™. Such containers are used to transport reagent medicines without having to resort to (toxic) lead containers.

Filamet™ Zirconium Silicate Zircopax® filament allows any FDM 3D printer user to produce ceramic objects. Once sintered in a furnace, the result of 3D printed parts made with this material is 100% ceramic.

Printing tips

Due to the high amount of metal, the filament can break more easily than conventional PLA filament. To avoid breakage during printing, it is recommended to use Filawarmer, an accessory that preheats the filament before printing to reduce its brittleness and increase its malleability.

It is necessary to use a hardened nozzle of at least 0.6 mm diameter to avoid clogging.

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 recommended to print on a glass base and use an adhesive such as Magigoo. It is not possible to print directly on PEI bases, as the part could be welded to the base and the base would be damaged. If you have a PEI base, it is recommended to apply a layer of Blue Tape.

It is recommended to print at low speeds of up to 30 mm/s.

Sintering process


This filament is in an experimental phase, so an optimised sintering process is not yet available.

General information
Manufacturer The Virtual Foundry (USA)
Material Zirconium Silicate Filamet Zircopax®
Format 500 g spool
Density 1.8 g/cm3
Amount of metal (volume) -
Quantity of metal (mass) -
Filament diameter 1.75 or 2.85 mm
Diameter Tolerance -
Filament length -
Colour Whitish
RAL/Pantone  -
Printing properties
Printing temperature 205 - 235 ºC
Base/bed temperature 40-50 ºC (optional)
FilaWarmer temperature Not necessary
Chamber temperature -
Layer fan  -
Print speed 30 mm/s
Nozzle diameter ≥0.6 mm of hardened steel
Infill recommended 100 %
Sintering properties
Container Refractory Crucible
Refractory powder Anyone who can withstand the temperature
Maximum temperature 1500 ºC
Mechanical properties
Izod impact resistance -
Charpy impact resistance -
Elongation at break -
Tensile strength -
Traction module -
Flexural strength  -
Bending module -
Surface hardness -
Thermal properties
Softening temperature 55 ºC
Melting temperature -
Specific properties
Transparency Opaque
Radiation protection (unsintered) No
Further information
HS Code 7406.1
Spool diameter (outside) 300 mm
Spool diameter (inner hole) 65 mm
Spool width 55 mm

* The typical values detailed in this table should be considered as a reference. Actual values may vary depending on the 3D printer model used, part design and printing conditions. We recommend that you confirm the results and final properties with your own tests. For further information, please refer to the product data sheet.

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