Medical-Grade Titanium Filament

Titanium 64-23 Filamet™ — 1.75 mm, 0.5 kg

Print real medical-grade Ti-6Al-4V ELI titanium parts on the FDM printer you already own. After kiln firing, your print becomes 78–82% pure Grade 23 titanium — the implant-grade alloy used in medical research, aerospace structures and high-performance frames.

78–82% Ti-6Al-4V ELI Grade 23 / Medical Lightweight + Strong Biocompatible Corrosion Resistant
The Virtual Foundry Titanium 64-23 Filamet 1.75mm 0.5kg spool

Real medical-grade titanium, printed on a desktop FDM printer

Titanium 64-23 Filamet™ lets you print parts that sinter into 78–82% pure Ti-6Al-4V ELI — ASTM Grade 23 titanium. Grade 23 is the Extra Low Interstitial variant of the workhorse Ti-6Al-4V alloy: lower oxygen, nitrogen and iron content gives it the toughness and biocompatibility required for biomedical implant work, alongside aerospace, high-performance bicycle and marine applications.

Density of just 2.50–2.85 g/cc on the spool means titanium prints far lighter on the extruder than steel or copper Filamets — closer in feel to standard PLA. The complexity is on the kiln side: titanium sinters near 1300°C and ideally under inert atmosphere to prevent surface oxidation. Done correctly, the result is a true Grade 23 part — lightweight, strong and biocompatible.

Why Grade 23 (ELI) matters. Standard Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) is excellent structural alloy but is not implant-rated. Grade 23 strips out interstitial oxygen and nitrogen, lifting fracture toughness and biocompatibility — making it the standard choice for medical implant research and any safety-critical application where titanium is required.

How it works — the 4-step process

1

Print

Print on any FDM printer with a 0.6 mm hardened steel nozzle. A Filawarmer is required. Lighter than steel filaments — prints relatively easily.

2

Pack

Nest the green part in refractory ballast inside an alumina crucible. Ballast supports geometry through binder burnout.

3

Sinter

Fire to ~1300°C in the FireX kiln, ideally under argon or inert atmosphere to keep oxygen pickup low and preserve Grade 23 spec.

4

Finish

Brush off ballast, machine, polish or anodise as required. Expect ~17–22% linear shrinkage — design for it by scaling up ~120–125% in your slicer.

Why Grade 23 titanium

Implant-grade biocompatibility

Grade 23 (ELI) is the standard alloy for medical implant research — low interstitial content gives the toughness and inertness needed near living tissue.

Lightweight strength

Roughly half the weight of steel at comparable strength. Where mass matters — aerospace, frames, prosthetics — titanium is the obvious answer.

Excellent corrosion resistance

Self-passivating oxide layer makes titanium nearly inert in seawater, body fluids and many industrial environments.

Lower extruder load

At 2.50–2.85 g/cc, titanium prints lighter than steel, copper or tungsten Filamets — gentler on the extruder, fewer snaps.

Bypasses titanium machining cost

Conventional titanium machining is slow, expensive and tool-hungry. FDM-then-sinter sidesteps the machining problem entirely.

USA-made, fully supported

Manufactured in South Central Wisconsin by The Virtual Foundry. Direct technical support from the team that makes the material.

Printing tips

  • Lighter than steel/copper — tolerates faster speeds
  • Filawarmer required for snap-free long prints
  • Sinter under argon when possible to preserve Grade 23 spec
  • Scale models up 120–125% to compensate for sinter shrinkage

Common applications

  • Medical implant research and prosthetics R&D
  • Aerospace structural components and brackets
  • High-performance bicycle frames and components
  • Marine hardware and salt-water-exposed parts
  • Dental research components and surgical guides
  • Lightweight motorsport prototypes

Specifications

Specification Details
Final metal content (post-sinter) 78.0–82.0% Ti-6Al-4V ELI (ASTM Grade 23)
Filament density 2.50–2.85 g/cc
Diameter 1.75 mm (±0.05 mm)
Spool weight 0.5 kg
Sintering temperature ~1300°C, ideally under argon/inert atmosphere
Required nozzle 0.6 mm hardened steel
Linear shrinkage (post-sinter) ~17–22% in all dimensions
Hygroscopicity Less hygroscopic than PLA — do NOT dry
Origin Made in South Central Wisconsin, USA

Inside the spool

Full Titanium 64-23 Filamet 1.75mm spool
Titanium 64-23 Filamet™ spool
Titanium pellets
Titanium-loaded pellets — the raw material

Frequently asked questions

What does “Grade 23” or “ELI” mean?

ELI stands for Extra Low Interstitial — it is the medically-rated variant of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy (designated ASTM Grade 23, versus standard Grade 5). The reduced oxygen and nitrogen content delivers higher fracture toughness and the biocompatibility needed for implant applications.

Do I really need an inert atmosphere when sintering?

Strongly recommended. Titanium absorbs oxygen and nitrogen aggressively at sintering temperatures, which raises interstitial content and pushes the alloy out of Grade 23 spec (and embrittles the part). Argon or vacuum sintering preserves the alloy chemistry — air-firing is possible for non-critical parts but the surface will be visibly oxidised.

What kiln do I need?

Titanium sinters at ~1300°C — near the top of the TVF FireX kiln’s working range. For Grade 23-spec parts you will also want argon or vacuum atmosphere capability.

Can I use this for an actual medical implant?

Filamet™ is suitable for research and development of titanium parts. Production medical implants require regulatory clearance, validated process control and rigorous QA — all of which sit outside the scope of a filament product. Use Titanium 64-23 Filamet™ for prototyping and research, then engage an implant manufacturer for any clinical work.

How does titanium printing compare to steel?

On the printer, titanium is gentler — lighter filament, lower extruder load. On the kiln side, titanium is more demanding: higher sintering temperature and ideally inert atmosphere. The trade-off: lighter, more biocompatible, more corrosion-resistant parts than steel can offer.

What else you’ll need

TVF FireX Sintering Kiln

Required for titanium sintering at ~1300°C — the top of the FireX range. Pair with argon atmosphere capability for Grade 23-spec parts.

Filawarmer

Required for Titanium 64-23 Filamet™. Reduces snap risk and resets spool memory for long prints.

Made in South Central Wisconsin, USA. World-class technical support provided for all TVF products.

(TVF-FILAMET-TI64-175)

SKU TVF-FILAMET-TI64-175
Brand The Virtual Foundry
Shipping Width 0.220m
Shipping Height 0.080m
Shipping Length 0.220m

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