Tethon 3D, an Omaha, Neb.-based manufacturer of technical ceramic materials for additive manufacturing, has announced the development of a new, UV-curable metal resin material, Ferrolite™, for 3-D printing in SLA or DLP 3-D printers. The iron polymer can be used as a composite directly from the printer, or it may be sintered to achieve a high-density pure iron metal object.
Sintering temperatures of 900 to 2,800 degrees F are appropriate and user-defined by the functional application desired. Parts made of this material are magnetic receptive and have high strength, even in a “green” unfired polymer composite state, the company reports. The composite also can be machined or polished to a glossy metallic surface, if desired.
The company expects to make the material commercially available in mid-2018.
