Prusament PETG Tungsten 75% is a high-density material containing 75% tungsten powder. This non-reactive, hypoallergenic, and non-toxic filament is designed primarily for printing radiation-shielding components, offering an easier and faster alternative to traditional metal machining methods.
Description
PETG Tungsten 75% is a technical material designed for specialised medical and industrial applications. Thanks to its high metal content, it enables users to 3D print complex, individualised radiation-shielding components at a lower cost and effort than traditional manufacturing.
Tungsten, also known as Wolfram (chemical symbol W, atomic number 74), is one of the heaviest metals in the periodic table. With its density of about 19 grams per cubic centimeter, it is comparable to gold, and it's about 1.7 times denser than lead (chemical symbol Pb, atomic number 82). Because of its atomic number, tungsten can be used in various applications, such as x-rays and gamma-ray radiation shielding materials. It is a mostly non-reactive element that does not react with water, oxygen, or with room temperature air. Unlike lead, tungsten is hypoallergenic and non-toxic, making it perfectly suitable for medical applications.
Materials with such high density are generally very difficult to machine, can be very expensive, or even toxic. These materials’ inherent properties make the classic manufacturing methods undesirable. Additive manufacturing provides the potential to create complex/individualized shielding components more easily and sometimes at a reduced cost.
Because the plastic matrix is based on PETG, the material exhibits excellent layer adhesion, minimal warping, and low thermal expansion. However, due to its heavy metallic load, it has practically no elasticity and low overall toughness compared to pure polymers. Its high density also means that a 1kg spool contains significantly fewer meters of filament than a standard plastic spool.
Remember that any printer issues may significantly reduce the radiation shielding properties. Don’t forget to clean and calibrate your printer properly. We recommend testing the printer with our calibration object.
Please note that the standard print profile for this material is not pre-installed in PrusaSlicer. To ensure a smooth printing experience, please download the custom Config bundle for your machine via our official channels or reach out directly to customer support for specific machine setups.
To compare supported material properties, see our material table.
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Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
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✔ Radiation shielding material |
✖ Hardened steel nozzle required for operation |
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✔ Non-toxic, non-reactive, and hypoallergenic |
✖ High-density material (fewer meters |
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✔ Good chemical resistance |
✖ High price point due to specialized metal load |
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✔ Low warping and excellent layer adhesion |
✖ Lower toughness compared to Prusament PETG |
| ✔ Visually appealing metallic grey surface |
✖ Not suitable for sintering |
| ✔ Easy postprocessing (can be polished as other metal-filled materials) |
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Best use
Prusament PETG Tungsten 75% is used primarily in the medical and diagnostic sectors. It is ideal for shielding radiopharmaceuticals, custom-designed gamma camera collimators, tailored shielding covers, and creating testing tools for diagnostic radiology equipment.
Tips for successful printing
Temperature settings and cooling
Unlike regular PETG, print cooling is not recommended during the process. Disabling the cooling fan ensures maximum layer bonding and prevents structural weakness, keeping the dense material tightly unified for consistent radiation barriers.
Print surface preparation
Make sure the print surface is clean, as described in our dedicated article. It is advisable to print on satin or textured (TXT) steel print sheets cleaned with IPA. Do not print directly on a smooth PEI sheet because the strong adhesion properties might damage the bed surface. If a smooth PEI sheet is your only option, ensure you apply a glue stick as a separation layer beforehand.
Abrasivity and nozzle selection
Keep in mind that tungsten is an intensely abrasive material. Use a hardened steel nozzle or equivalent wear-resistant nozzle. Standard brass hardware will deform instantly, destroying your print precision and flow rate.
Postprocessing
PETG Tungsten prints can be post-processed relatively easily. It supports straightforward dry and wet sanding techniques to clean up surfaces, and the material allows for a polished finish if required.
Dissolving PETG Tungsten
Dissolving and chemical smoothing is not natively supported for general operations, and standard chemical solvents are non-reactive with this composition. Avoid using unauthorized laboratory solvents without professional guidance.
Sample prints
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| Shielding for radiopharmaceuticals | Testing tool for diagnostic radiology equipment |
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| Customized gamma camera collimators | Customized shielding cover |