Technical Ceramic FDM Filament

Zirconium Silicate (Zircopax) Ceramic Filamet™ — 1.75 mm, 0.5 kg

Print real zirconium silicate (ZrSiO4) ceramic parts on the FDM printer you already own. After kiln firing, your print becomes a dense, opaque white technical ceramic with high thermal stability — the same Zircopax used in pottery glazes, refractories and kiln furniture for decades.

64–69% Zirconium Silicate Refractory Ceramic Thermal Insulator High-Temp Stable Print & Sinter
The Virtual Foundry Zirconium Silicate Ceramic Filamet 1.75mm 0.5kg spool

Real zirconium silicate ceramic, printed on a desktop FDM printer

Zirconium Silicate Ceramic Filamet™ loads 64–69% Zircopax-grade ZrSiO4 into a printable polymer matrix. After kiln firing, the binder burns out and the silicate particles fuse into a dense, opaque white ceramic that holds its shape and properties at temperatures well above what any polymer or low-melting metal can survive.

Zircopax is the brand-name zirconium silicate that has dominated pottery and refractory work for generations — used as an opacifier in white glazes, as a base for kiln furniture, and as a thermal insulator in foundry tooling. With Filamet™ you can now print custom Zircopax geometry — insulator bushings, refractory shapes, kiln posts — instead of carving them from a block.

Why ceramic FDM matters. Conventional ceramic forming is mould-bound — slip casting, jiggering, dry pressing. The TVF print-then-sinter approach gives you arbitrary geometry from a CAD file straight into a real fired ceramic part — on hardware that fits on a workbench.

How it works — the 4-step process

1

Print

Print on any FDM printer with a 0.6 mm hardened steel nozzle. The filament prints with PLA-like behaviour and minimal warping.

2

Pack

Nest the green part in alumina or silica refractory ballast inside an alumina crucible — supports the part as the binder burns out.

3

Sinter

Fire to ~1200°C+ in a ceramics or pottery kiln — a standard cone-6 schedule is in the right range for first attempts.

4

Finish

Brush off ballast, glaze and re-fire if desired, or use the bisque-fired ceramic as-is. Expect ~15–20% linear shrinkage — scale models up ~120–125%.

Why zirconium silicate (Zircopax)

Refractory at high temperature

Zirconium silicate stays dimensionally stable far above the operating range of most metals — ideal for kiln furniture and foundry tooling.

Excellent electrical insulator

High dielectric strength and low electrical conductivity — widely used as an electrical insulator in kiln, furnace and high-voltage applications.

Glaze-friendly Zircopax chemistry

Same chemistry potters have been opacifying glazes with for decades — you can glaze and re-fire prints with cone-6 glaze recipes.

Standard pottery kiln works

Sinters in the cone-6 / ~1200°C+ range — any mid-range pottery kiln (or the TVF FireX) handles the schedule.

Bright opaque white finish

Sintered parts are dense, opaque and bright white — the same opacifying property that made Zircopax the standard glaze additive.

USA-made, fully supported

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

Specifications

Specification Details
Final ceramic content (post-sinter) 64.0–69.0% zirconium silicate
Filament density 2.10–2.19 g/cc
Diameter 1.75 mm (±0.05 mm)
Spool weight 0.5 kg
Sintering temperature ~1200°C+
Required nozzle 0.6 mm hardened steel
Linear shrinkage (post-sinter) ~15–20% in all dimensions
Hygroscopicity Less hygroscopic than PLA — do NOT dry
Origin Made in South Central Wisconsin, USA

Printing tips

  • Heavier than PLA — slow first layer for adhesion
  • Filawarmer recommended for prints over 4 hours
  • Direct drive preferred for cleaner extrusion
  • Scale models up 120–125% to compensate for sinter shrinkage

Common applications

  • High-temperature thermal insulators
  • Refractory bricks and custom kiln furniture
  • Electrical insulators for furnaces and high-voltage
  • Custom ceramic fasteners and bushings
  • Foundry tooling and investment casting cores
  • Jewelry investments and decorative ceramics

What you can make

Zirconium silicate Filamet spool
Zirconium Silicate Ceramic Filamet™ spool
Zirconium silicate Zircopax sample
Zircopax-grade ZrSiO4 — the active ceramic phase

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same Zircopax used in pottery glazes?

Yes — the active ceramic phase is zirconium silicate of the same grade potters know as Zircopax. The difference is delivery format: instead of a powder for slurry or glaze, it is loaded into a polymer matrix you can extrude on an FDM printer.

What kiln do I need for sintering?

A kiln capable of cone 6 (~1200°C) or higher will work. Most mid-range pottery kilns qualify, and the TVF FireX is engineered for the full Filamet™ range with headroom for higher schedules.

Can I glaze the finished part?

Yes — treat the bisque-fired print like any other ceramic body. Apply a cone-6 glaze and re-fire to your usual schedule. Because the substrate is already a refractory ceramic, glaze fit is generally well-behaved.

How does this compare to porcelain Filamet?

Both are ceramics fired in the same temperature range, but their roles differ. Porcelain is a traditional whiteware for art, tableware and decorative work. Zirconium silicate is a technical refractory — brighter white, denser, and engineered for thermal and electrical insulation.

What else you’ll need

TVF FireX Sintering Kiln

Engineered for the full Filamet™ range — cone-6 ceramic schedules and beyond.

Filawarmer

Recommended for long ceramic prints. Reduces snap risk on heavy filaments.

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

(TVF-FILAMET-ZS-175)

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

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