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BASF Ultrafuse 316L

BASF

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387,00 €
387,00 €

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Filament loaded with 316L stainless steel which allows to obtain totally metallic pieces.

BASF, one of the largest and most prestigious multinationals in the chemical sector, has committed to additive manufacturing through the Forward-AM brand and its Ultrasint, Ultrafuse and Ultracure lines. It currently has an extensive catalogue of materials for the main 3D printing technologies, including its excellent engineering resins based on urethane, or its metallic filaments.

Ultrafuse 316L is a filament composed of 90% by weight of sinterable 316L steel powder and 10% of binder polymers specifically developed to facilitate the extrusion of this material.

Manifold made of Ultrafuse 316L.

Image 1: Manifold made of Ultrafuse 316L. Source: BASF.

Grade 316 or marine grade steel is one of the most frequently used stainless steels thanks to its excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion at high temperatures. It is precisely this latter property that makes it an optimum candidate for sintering. It is an austenitic steel alloyed with chromium, nickel and molybdenum and has several variants. The 316L (Low) variant has a low carbon content, which makes it more tolerant to welding and thus also to sintering processes.

Unlike other PLA-based metal filaments where the debinding process is performed thermally in conjunction with sintering, Ultrafuse 316L uses a specific binder polymer that requires a catalytic debinding process developed by BASF. This catalytic process has the advantage of being much cleaner than the calcining of PLA, reducing the waste present during sintering and resulting in a final part free of impurities and with properties closer to those of machined steel.

Video 1: Ultrafuse metal presentation. Source: BASF.

This filament has similar printing conditions to ABS, so it can be used in most FFF 3D printers. In addition, the binders used have been developed to minimise the brittleness characteristic of metallic filaments, which facilitates its use in both direct extruder and bowden printers and does not require heating prior to printing. It is available in 3 kg spools and in 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm diameters.

Ultrafuse 316L has been developed with the aim of simplifying and reducing costs in the 3D printing of metal parts. This is why BASF Ultrafuse metal filaments are complemented by a cost-effective debinding and sintering service provided by ELNIK. This service is based on the purchase of vouchers, where each voucher entitles the customer to post-process 1 kg of parts. Each voucher covers the debinding and sintering process as well as the shipping and return of the parts. The only factor to take into account is that the pieces must have dimensions of 100 x 100 x 100 x 100 mm or less.

Complete process.

Image 2: Complete process. Source: BASF.

For those users who have the means and want to carry out the debinding and sintering process, BASF provides the parameters and conditions for both processes which can be consulted in the tips for use tab or in the user guide available in the download tab.

BASF Ultrafuse metal filaments make it possible for anyone to 3D print high-quality parts in steel. All that is required is an FFF 3D printer capable of printing ABS and the purchase of a spool of filament and coupons. One spool of Ultrafuse 316L and three coupons are enough to produce up to 3 kg of parts.

Debinding and sintering service

Ultrafuse Support Layer, Ultrafuse 17-4 PH and Ultrafuse 316L can be 3D printed with great results on the Forge 1 metal 3D printer developed by Raise3D as part of the MetalFuse solution. MetalFuse consists of the Forge 1 3D printer, the D200-E debinding furnace and the S200-C sintering furnace, and allows for the in-house manufacturing of metal parts with the Ultrafuse metal filaments, resulting in a fully metallic part.

Metallic content Metallic content

Design and Laminate

The use of supports should be avoided whenever possible. If it is necessary to use them, they should be made of the same material and with a density equal to or greater than 70%.

Video 1: Design tips. Source: BASF.

During debinding and sintering, the part suffers a shrinkage of 16% in XY and 20% in Z, so the parts must be resized to compensate for this shrinkage.

The following printing parameters are recommended:

Nozzle size 0.4 mm
Extrusion factor 1.0 - 1.1
Extrusion width 0.35 mm
Retraction distance 1.5 mm (direct) / 5 mm (bowden)
Shrinkage rate 45 mm/s
Layer height 0.1 - 0.15 mm
Perimeters 1 - 2
Filling 100 %
Overlaying infill on perimeters 20 - 35 %
Filler extrusion width 100 %
Printing temperature 230 - 250 ºC
Base temperature 90 - 120 ºC
Layer fan Shutdown
Print speed 35 mm/s

Video 2: Explanation of the process. Source: BASF.

Printing

Ultrafuse metal filaments are susceptible to warping, so it is recommended to apply Magigoo Pro Metal to the base and avoid draughts around the part.

These filaments tend to stick to the nozzle and heater block and need to be cleaned after each print.

Debinding

Prior to sintering, the parts must undergo catalytic debinding to remove the binders. This is a thermochemical process in which the parts are subjected to a nitric acid gas stream in a furnace with an inert nitrogen atmosphere. The process must be carried out at 120°C with a nitric acid stream of 30 mL/h*.

Sintering

After debinding, sintering is necessary to obtain the final properties and to eliminate the porosity of the part.

The sintering process must be carried out in a dry nitrogen or high purity argon atmosphere. The refractory support must be alumina powder with a purity higher than 99.6%.

An example of a sintering cycle is as follows:

  1. Heat from room temperature to 600 ºC at a rate of 5 ºC / min.
  2. Keep at 600 ºC for 1h
  3. Heat from 600 ºC to 1380 ºC at a rate of 5 ºC / min.
  4. Keep at 1380 ºC for 3 hours
  5. Allow to cool
*In Nabertherm furnace NRA 40/02-CDB. Other equipment may require variation of these parameters.
General information
Manufacturer BASF
Material 316L steel + Binders
Format 3 Kg spool
Density -
Quantity of metal (mass) 90 %
Filament diameter 1.75 or 2.85 mm
Diameter Tolerance -
Filament length -
Colour Grey
RAL/Pantone  -
Printing properties
Printing temperature 230 - 250 ºC
Base/bed temperature 100- 120ºC
Chamber temperature -
Layer fan  -
Print speed 30 mm/s
Nozzle diameter 0.4 mm of hardened steel
Infill recommended 100 %
Sintering properties
Container Refractory crucible
Refractory powder Al203 99.6%
Maximum temperature 1380 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 -
Melting temperature -
Specific properties
Transparency Opaque
Further information
HS Code 7406.1
Reel diameter (outside) -
Reel diameter (inner hole) -
Reel width -

* 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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