High-carbon steel Filamet Pellets View larger

Filamet™ high-carbon steel pellets

The Virtual Foundry

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277,80 €
277,80 €

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Filamet™ high carbon steel pellets for making metal filament or using pellet extruders.

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.

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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 Filamet™ high carbon steel 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 Filamet™ high carbon steel 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 achieving better results during 3D printing.

Whether using a filament extruder such as Filastruder or a direct pellet extruder, parts 3D printed with Filamet™ high carbon steel pellets must undergo a sintering process to achieve fully metallic parts.

Sintering process

This filament is at an experimental stage, so an optimised sintering process is not yet available.

General information
Manufacturer The Virtual Foundry (USA)
Material High carbon steel (78 %) + PLA 
Format -
Density 2 g/cm3
Amount of metal (volume) 66 %
Amount of metal (mass) 78 %
Color Black
RAL/Pantone  -
Sintering properties
Container -
Refractory powder -
Maximum temperature -
Mechanical properties
Izod impact strength -
Charpy impact strength -
Elongation at break -
Tensile strength -
Tensile Modulus -
Flexural strength -
Flexural modulus -
Surface hardness -
Specific properties
Transparency  Opaque
Radiation protection (without sintering) No
Additional Information
HS Code 7205.29


* The typical values detailed in this table should be considered as a reference. For more information you should consult the technical data sheet of the product.

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