We‘ve launched two new professional Prusaments with unique properties. Plus, we have a brand new PP print sheet for easy printing of polypropylene materials. Now, it’s time to give them a proper welcome and have a closer look at Prusament PP Carbon Fiber and PETG Magnetite 40%. While PP Carbon Fiber is highly chemically resistant, PETG Magnetite 40% contains magnetite powder, which adds extra weight and paramagnetic properties.
Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650 g
First, let’s talk about the PP Carbon Fiber Black. PP (Polypropylene) in general is a material commonly used in packaging, valued for being safe, resistant, and flexible material. Its main advantage is great resistance to a variety of chemicals.
Pure polypropylene has very low dimensional stability. If you have ever printed with this material, you may have experienced very strong warping and a high failure rate. In Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black, these issues are addressed by the addition of carbon fibers. With these, the material gets slightly worse layer-to-layer adhesion and becomes more fragile and non-bendable. In other words, the pure PP is bendable, while the PP Carbon Fiber will break. However, the carbon fibers inside make it very easy to print, even in large volumes, while maintaining excellent chemical and improving temperature resistance.
Easy printing with our new PP Sheet
We wanted to make our new PP as easy to print as possible. That’s why we developed a brand new PP sheet, which is the best solution for printing polypropylene-based materials. With regular PEI sheets, you will face extremely low surface adhesion, which can be improved only by using additional accessories, like polypropylene tape. Preparing such a separation layer takes some time and requires some skill, plus the tape leaves glue on the print surface. With the PP Sheet, all you need to do is to swap the sheets and degrease the surface with IPA as usual.
The sheet is compatible with most PP, PLA, PETG, and flexible filaments. You can get it in our e-shop for 46.99 USD / 49.90 EUR (VAT incl.).
Chemical resistance
High chemical resistance is without any hesitation the greatest benefit of Prusament PP Carbon Fiber. Below is a list of several chemicals and how Prusament PP Carbon Fiber resists them. It’s clear that this material resists various solvents, non-oxidized bases and acids, and oils.
| Substance | Concentration (%) | 20 °C | 60 °C | 100 °C |
| Acetone | 100 | A | A | – |
| Benzene | 100 | B | C | C |
| Chloroform | 100 | C | D | D |
| Chromic acid | 80 | A | – | – |
| Ethyl alcohol | 96 | A | A (80 °C) | – |
| Formaldehyde | 40 | A | A | – |
| Gasoline | 100 | B | C | C |
| Hydrochloric acid | 30 | A | B | D |
| Hydrogen peroxide | 30 | A | – | D |
| Isopropyl alcohol | 100 | A | A | – |
| Motor oil | 100 | A | B | – |
| Nitric acid | 60 | A | D (80 °C) | – |
| Paraffin | 100 | A | B | – |
| Phosphoric acid | 95 | A | A | – |
| Plating solutions | A | A | – | |
| Sulfuric acid | 60 | A | B (80 °C) | – |
| Toluene | 100 | C | C | – |
| Water (distilled, soft, hard and vapor) | A | A | A | |
| Xylene | 100 | C | C | C |
List of some chemicals and their effect on the Prusament PP Carbon Fiber. Rating system: A = negligible effect, B = limited absorption or attack, C = extensive absorption and/or rapid permeation, D = extensive attack. The specimen dissolves or disintegrates.
Lightweight, yet durable
The Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black is very lightweight, yet durable, which makes it suitable for use in aircraft/drone fields, where reducing the weight is a must.
Price and weight
Due to lower density (0.91 g/cm3), you’ll get 340 m filament on one 650 g spool. For the same weight of PETG, for example, you’d get 224.25 m filament, just to compare it. The 650 g spool of PP Carbon Fiber costs 69.99 USD / 74.99 EUR (VAT incl.).
Examples of use
The Prusament PP Carbon Fiber is suitable for every use, where heat and chemical resistance are a must. For example laboratory equipment, oil tanks, chemical canisters lids and caps, chlorine dispensers, heat-stressed parts, RC aircraft parts, etc.
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| Brake fluid canister (Resistance to various chemicals, even oils) |
Canister lid (Replacement of chemical-resistant parts) |
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| Model of exhaust pipes (Example of well-printed visual component) |
Chemically resistant canister (Another example of chemically resistant components) |
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| Vial stands (Heat and chemical-resistant components usable in a lab) |
Chlorine pool dispenser (Chemical resistant part) |
Prusament PETG Magnetite 40% Grey 1 kg
And now, for something completely different. Once again, we decided to make a new, unique material. A material that cannot be found anywhere else. We used our Prusament PETG as a bonding polymer and filled it with fine magnetite powder, which gives the filament paramagnetic properties, adds extra weight, and provides it with an attractive dark grey color.
We worked hard to make this material both easy to print and suitable for industrial and scientific applications. And the results are very convincing – all you need is a hardened nozzle, and you can print virtually anything that requires paramagnetic properties. For example, this material is ideal for creating components used in automation, such as magnetic switches, potentiometers, and induction sensors. That said, it’s not limited to professional use – it is perfectly suitable for hobby use as well. Before we dive into the physical properties, we need to mention one thing: this filament is not magnetic on its own, it cannot be used, e.g., to print magnetic attachments for your fridge. We’ll explain it in detail in the following chapters. And brace yourselves, it’s a bit technical.
What is Magnetite
Pure magnetite (chemical formula Fe3O4) is a black ferrimagnetic mineral and one of the main iron ores. It is known for use in making steel but you may have also seen other applications, such as ferrofluids, or cleaning water from heavy metals and microorganisms.
Material’s physical properties
First of all, it’s important to explain what paramagnetism means. While pure Magnetite is ferrimagnetic, which means that the material can be turned into a permanent magnet, this is not exactly the case with Prusament PETG Magnetite 40%. When bonded in PETG, the magnetite powder gives the 3D-printed object paramagnetic properties. Paramagnetism is a form of magnetism, where the material itself is not the original source of the magnetic field but can be attracted to the external magnetic field and then form an internal magnetic field that is in the direction of the applied magnetic field. In layman’s terms: the Prusament PETG Magnetite doesn’t work as a magnet but it is attracted by a magnetic field, just like a piece of iron (just a little bit weaker).
In theory, Prusament PETG Magnetite 40% could be turned into a permanent magnet as well as pure Magnetite. However, PETG, as a bonding polymer, strongly affects the magnetic domains and prevents changing their orientation as the Magnetite particles inside the 3D-printed model are spread non-homogenously. Turning the 3D-printed object into a permanent magnet would therefore require an extremely strong magnetic field, which could only be reached with specialized equipment under laboratory conditions.
The high content of the magnetite powder gives the material a higher density. With 1.82 g/cm3, the material is heavier than water and may help with various applications, where extra weight is a must.
The magnetite powder is a highly abrasive material, so a hardened nozzle is required when printing this material. The moisture absorption is negligible and so is warping: you don’t need any special equipment or preparations for printing this Prusament.
Measured magnetic properties
We asked CEITEC (Central European Institute of Technology) from Brno to measure the magnetic properties of parts 3D-printed with Prusament PETG Magnetite 40%. Here, we present the results with the whole testing procedure for your better understanding of the material’s properties. If you don’t want to learn about the physics behind this material, feel free to skip this chapter.
1) Test object preparation
Two types of objects were printed for the test: a cube and a cylinder. The cube had dimensions 4x4x4 mm, and the cylinder had 4 mm in height and 2 mm in diameter. Both objects were printed with the Original Prusa MK3S+ 3D printer with the following PrusaSlicer settings:
- Nozzle diameter: 0.25 mm
- Layer height: 0.07 mm (ultra detail MK3 preset)
- Perimeters: 3
- Bottom layers: 8
- Top layers: 11
- Infill: 0%
- Nozzle temperature: 250 °C
- Heatbed temperature: 85 °C first layer, 90 °C other layers
- Extrusion multiplier: 1.04
- Cooling: 30 – 50%
Fig. 1: 3D-printed test objects and the magnetic field orientation during the tests
2) Measurements
The 3D-printed test objects’ magnetic properties were measured using a vibrating-sample magnetometer at CEITEC. The objects were tested in both horizontal and vertical positions to identify whether there is any effect of 3D-printed layers on the object’s magnetic properties.
Fig.2: Dependence of magnetic flux density on magnetic field intensity in the tested cylinder bodies
3) Results and discussion
The results from measurements of our test objects are presented in the graph above. The thin hysteresis curve visible in the graph is typical for soft (paramagnetic) magnets. Hard (permanent) magnets, on the other hand, would give results depicted as a hysteresis curve with a wider span at the magnetic field intensity scale (H). Also, their magnetic flux density (magnetic induction, B) would reach dozens or hundreds of mT.
Now, before we sink deeper into the results, it might be worth explaining some basic notions we’ll talk about:
Saturation magnetization MS – a state, where all vectors of all magnetic domains and their momentums in a test object are aligned in the direction of an external magnetic field and material magnetization does not grow
Magnetic domain – a region of atoms within a magnetic material, with origin in orbital movement and electron spin, in which the magnetization is uniformly oriented in the direction of a magnetic flux
Remanence BR – residual magnetic induction retained by a material during its exposure to zero magnetic field intensity
Coercitive intensity HC – magnetic field intensity of the material capable of resisting external magnetic field without becoming demagnetized
| PETG Magnetite 40% cylindrical sample | Saturation magnetization MS (T) | Remanence BR (T) | Coercitive intensity HC (kA/m) | Magnet’s maximum energy density (BH)max (kJ/m3) |
| Vertical position x | 5,598×10–3 | 7,206×10–4 | 13,348 | 1,859 |
| Horizontal position z | 5,564×10–3 | 6,893×10–4 | 14,329 | 1,197 |
A simplified vacuum permeability factor of 0.0001 N/A2 was used to calculate the results. This factor is regularly used in engineering applications to approach real values of magnetic properties of low-homogenous materials at atmospheric pressure. The laying cylinder’s (vertical position z) saturation magnetization equals 5.564×10–3 T. Its coercitive intensity is in this case very low (14.329 kA/m); the resulting cylinder’s magnetic field can be slightly switched (remagnetized). Such materials may be suitable for dynamic applications requiring frequent magnetic field switching (in transformers, for example). The test object’s maximum energy density is 1.197 (kJ/m3), equal to 0.15 MGOe (mega gauss oersted). To compare it: regular ferrite magnets reach (BH)max values between 0.8 to 5 MGOe, whereas frequently used NdFeB magnets reach 25 to 50 MGOe. The differences in the values of standing and laying positions are in this case within standard deviations. The data also show that reducing the nozzle temperature to 230 °C leads to a decrease in the material’s homogeneity. Printing at elevated temperatures might help connect the structure of magnetic domains of magnetite powder inside the object.
Furthermore, the magnetic properties of cubes with an external magnetic field applied in various axes are determined at CEITEC VUT (as depicted in Fig. 1). An increase in the magnetic flux density (magnetic induction) was detected when the magnetic force field passed perpendicular to the XZ and YZ surfaces, where 3D-printed layers were visible. Whereas the XY surface (solid infill was visible) doesn’t confirm this phenomenon. A possible explanation is that the magnetic domains of the XZ and YZ surfaces were more easily oriented in the contact direction of the melt deposition in a single layer, while the magnetic domains between layers didn’t easily connect. The results therefore showed that the magnetic properties of a 3D-printed body are dependent on the object’s orientation and print setup.
Price and weight
As opposed to the previously mentioned PP, this material has high density. That’s why you will get 245 m of filament on one 1 kg spool. Again, to compare it, the same weight of pure PETG would have 345 m of filament in length. One spool of Prusament PETG Magnetite 40% costs 46.99 USD / 49.99 EUR (VAT incl.).
Examples of use
Again, the material is paramagnetic (not ferrimagnetic) thanks to the magnetite powder inside. It might not stick to the magnet as strongly as a piece of iron, but this material still has several interesting use cases for hobby and professional use. With professional use, we aim for various electronic components used in automatization: switches, potentiometers, induction sensors, electromagnetic shielding, etc. In hobby use, the material can be used for various tools that can be attached to a magnet. Another use can be found in art, design, and toys. Or, it can simply work as a weight.
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| Paramagnetic hardware parts (Anything printed with PETG Magnetite 40% can be attached to a magnet) |
Electronic parts (Various induction sensors, transformers. switches, etc.) |
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| Parts of magnetic boxes (Lids and other parts that should be attracted to a magnet) |
Art and design (Various magnetic-levitation components, gravity-defying parts, etc.) |
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| Magnetic puzzles (Various kinds of magnetic puzzles, even pieces of GeoMag and similar) |
Visual parts (The Prusament PETG has a very nice matt surface and overall easy printability) |
How do you like our new filaments? If you have any ideas that may involve our cooperation, please let us know. We’re always eager to try something new!
Prusament PETG Magnetite 40% was developed and manufactured with the support of the project NCK for industrial 3D printing, reg. no. TN02000033, co-financed with state support from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic under the National Centres of Competence program.
Used models: Magnetic UFO by Sevro, Snap-Off Knife 18mm and Snap-Off Knife 9mm by Michal Fanta, Tangram by AnnaV., NBA Airless basketball by PartyLime, Corinthian column by Štístko, earphone case/phone stand by safpep
Wow… A filled filament that is expected to be OK printing in a 0.25mm nozzle? Small particle size there to avoid jamming a 0.25mm nozzle.
Were the samples printed hollow? No mention of infill, and given the expected line width from a 0.25mm nozzle even the cylinder would be expected to be hollow. (Lets say printing with a line width of 0.3mm, 3 perimeters would be 0.9mm. Two walls = 1.8mm, leaving a 0.2mm void down the center of the cylinder. The picture of the cylinder doesn't look like 0.25mm nozzle…
Hello, the objects were hollow. Only the bottom and top layers were used. Also, we printed the specimens with a 0.25 mm nozzle for the tests but we don't recommend it due to the higher risk of clogging the nozzle. We suggest using a 0.4 mm nozzle instead.
Examples of use for Carbon PP: exhaust pipes (heat resistant parts). And a picture of an exhaust manifold no less.
COME ON! You can't be serious. Exhaust pipes can get so hot they glow. I got a special high-temperature repair paste to fix a slight crack in my exhaust manifold and it didn't survive even though it's rated for 1300°C.
If I had a printer that could print parts able to withstand temperatures of an exhaust manifold (shown in the photo), I'd be over the moon. But it ain't happening any time soon at a price non-professionals could afford.
I agree, I thought it was pretty funny to see that picture of the exhaust manifold. Surely the person who wrote the article was joking and they forgot to remove it before publishing?
Oops, this was supposed to be just an example of a well-printed visual part. It's fixed. But at least you had a good laugh. 🙂 Thank you for noticing.
Someone needs to update the material table 🙂
https://help.prusa3d.com/materials
We're working on it, thank you for noticing. 🙂
The magnetite filament I understand gives a result similar to a PETG part in which a bit of steel is embedded.
Say I want to make a 20 mm diameter x 3 mm thickness disc that is attracted by a magnet. I can make that as a print of normal PETG, leave an opening in which I can place a washer, and print that over, or print from PETG-Magneite.
Advantage of the latter option would be:
1- Operational: I do not need to interupt the print process to insert the washer.
2- Mechanical: the larger volume of diamagnetic material connects to the magnet with minimal gap. The two combined should quickly compensate for the lesser magnetic response of the loaded PETG relative to steel. It would be interesting to see a comparison.
Disadvantage of PETG-magnetite is higher material cost.
Wondering how this is with corrosion. Printed material is not hermetically closed so there's a risk of water accumulation and corrosion of any embedded steel parts. How is the PETG- magnetite in this respect? How does it hold in a humid environment?
Is a PETG magnetite print electrically conductive across its surface? If so that would lend itself to electroplating prints too….
Unfortunately, it is not.
Looks great both, but for the Magnetite, there is no mention of the infill ratio and infill type. If there is a less dense infill, the infill orientation will influence the paramagnetic values.
Hello, 0% infill was used for the specimens.