3D printing in Tungsten

Tungsten is a non-magnetic metal with excellent heat and wear resistance. Parts 3D printed in tungsten present the rare characteristic of shielding radiation. 

3D printing tungsten

About Tungsten

Tungsten is a hard pure metal that distinguishes itself for having a melting point of 3422°C, which is the highest of all metals. Besides its outstanding temperature resistance, the material is also highly resistant to wear and chemicals. Since it is non-magnetic, 3D printed parts are often used for MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) in the medical industry.

Pure Tungsten is highly dense, hard and stiff making it ideal for extreme applications. Also for that reason, processing Tungsten for it to be 3D printed with high accuracy was not possible until not long ago.

Also, Tungsten offers a characteristic that is rarely seen in 3D printing materials. It excels at absorbing and shielding radiation, allowing 3D printed parts to be used at extreme conditions in the nuclear energy industry

Strengths

✦ Non-magnetic

✦ High temperature and chemical resitance

✦ Outstanding wear resistance

✦ Hard and stiff material

✦ Excellent radiation shielding

Weaknesses

✧ Expensive

common applications of tungsten

– Medical MRIs

– Thermal applications in aerospace

– Radiation shielding in medical and nuclear energy industries

available technologies on our tungsten 3d print service

PBLM

Powder Bed Laser Melting creates highly complex parts with great potential for customisation

characteristics of tungsten

PBLM

Max. Bed Size (mm)

230x230x200 mm

Max. Bed Size (in)

9.05×9.05×7.9 in

Layer Height

100 μm

Accuracy

★★★★★

Smoothness

★★★★☆

Flexibility

★☆☆☆☆

Rigidity

★★★★★

Biocompatible

Yes

Food Safe

No

Watertight

Not tested

Recyclable

No

General technical data for Tungsten

Density

19.25 g/cm3

Melting Point

3422 ± 15 °C

Boiling Point

5700 ± 200 °C

UTS

Not tested

Atomic Number

74

Hardness

300-650 HV30

* These values are meant to give a general idea of the material. Actual values may vary according to chosen material brand, 3D print service and build condition. Please refer to the Beamler online quoting platform for actual technical data of each material brand. 

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