BASF Ultrafuse 17-4 PH
Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH is the BASF-branded metal filament that joins the Ultrafuse 316L filament, which already at the beginning of last year made metal 3D printing accessible to anyone.
The final properties of this martensitic hardening stainless steel are obtained through the catalytic debinding and sintering processes, following the same rules as the tested MIM (Metal Injection Molding) process. Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH is characterized by excellent hardness and mechanical resistance but it is also one of the cheapest materials when it comes to stainless steels.
17-4 PH and 316L are among the most used steels. Let's analyze them in detail from the point of view of the mechanical characteristics:
| 316L | 17-4 PH | |
| Tensile strength | 500 MPa | 950 MPa |
| Elongation at break | 50% | 6% |
| Hardness HV10 | 120 | 320 |
Application Fields
Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH is ideal for making components that will have to work in corrosive environments, which require high mechanical wear resistance, hardness and good toughness of the printed part.
The use therefore appears ideal for the petrochemical, aerospace, aeronautical, automotive and medical sectors to create tools, jigs&fixtures, and final parts that must be subjected to very high tensile, compressive and bending loads.
The material also allows it to be welded, and doing so does not require the preheating and postheating practices used for standard hardenable stainless grades.
Printing parameters
| Extrusion Temperature | 230°C - 250°C |
| Print Bed Temperature | 90°C - 120°C |
| Print speed | 20 mm/s - 50 mm/s |
| Recommended Nozzle Diameter | > 0.4 mm |
| Print Bed Adhesion | Magigoo Pro Metal |
Anyone who owns a filament 3D printer (Fused Filament Fabrication) with an extruder that reaches a hotend temperature of 240°C will be able to print Ultrafuse® 17-4 PH steel.
Contact us for Debinding and Sintering processes.