3D Printing Info
Specialty materials · Material guide

Magnetic filament

Iron-filled PLA at about 1.85 g/cm³ that responds to magnets and behaves like pure iron. Slow to print at 20–30 mm/s, brittle as filament, and deliberately rustable.

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Understand the material

At a glance

Before you print

Setup difficulty
Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; slow, and brittle in filament form
Nozzle wear
Moderately abrasive — metal fill
Read conditions and sources ↓
Read the full material overview

Iron-filled PLA at about 1.85 g/cm³ that responds to magnets and behaves like pure iron. Slow to print at 20–30 mm/s, brittle as filament, and deliberately rustable.

Applications

Iron-filled PLA is useful when a printed shape needs to respond to an external magnet or acquire an oxidized iron finish. The particles give it magnetic attraction and added heft; they can also rust at the surface. Proto-pasta lists fixtures and hardware alongside sculpture, emblems and game pieces, reflecting those two distinct functional and decorative roles.

The printed object is not itself a permanent magnet, and attraction depends on the geometry and amount of iron present. The PLA matrix still limits heat resistance and mechanical performance. For decorative work, rust can be the intended finish; for a functional interface, the same exposed iron can become a drawback. These distinctions matter more than the broad “magnetic filament” name.

  • Magnet-responsive fixtures and decorative hardware ↗

    FDM · Proto-pasta Iron-filled Metal Composite PLA · Manufacturer-listed applications

    Proto-pasta lists fixtures, hardware, knobs and buttons among application ideas for iron-filled PLA. Its documented attraction to magnets and rustable surface explain why it differs from ordinary metallic-colored PLA.

Sources
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Representative catalog values. Check the exact grade and its linked conditions before using a setting.

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Drying

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Full value & sources

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Properties & source data

28 documented fields

Open a topic to explore the complete data. Each value keeps its original conditions, units and dated sources.

Material & market7 fields
Magnetic filament — Identity & Market
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Base polymer / chemistryPLA loaded with ferromagnetic iron powder, so printed parts respond to magnets
1 source
Density (g/cm³)About 1.85 (Proto-pasta manufacturer figure) — 1.5× standard PLA
1 source
Typical price (USD/kg)1 kg spools cluster near 65
1 source
Price range across brands (USD/kg)64–70 across formats; 1 kg spool 65, 500 g 70, 2 kg 70
1 source
Market availability (1–5)Niche, a handful of specialist brands
1 source
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools
1 source
Typical applicationsSensor targets, magnetic fixtures, and props that need to stick to a magnet or rust deliberately
1 source
Print settings6 fields
Magnetic filament — Printing Parameters
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle temperature (°C)192 (Proto-pasta)
1 source
Bed temperature (°C)60 (Proto-pasta)
1 source
Enclosure / chamber requirement (1–5)Open frame is fine
1 source
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s)1.6–2.4 at Proto-pasta's 20–30 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer
1 source
Overall printing difficulty (1–5)Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; slow, and brittle in filament form
1 source
Extruder requirementProto-pasta advises an extrusion width 0.05 mm larger than the nozzle and warns feeding is inconsistent below 0.4 mm and on Bowden machines
1 source
Nozzle wear & reliability4 fields
Magnetic filament — Hardware Wear & Reliability
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Nozzle hardness required (1–4)Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work
1 source
Abrasiveness (1–5)Moderately abrasive — metal fill
1 source
Nozzle clog risk (1–5)Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists metal-filled composites as a higher clogging risk and recommends a 0.6 mm nozzle minimum
1 source
Hotend requirementProto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals
1 source
Moisture & drying1 field
Magnetic filament — Moisture Behaviour
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion
1 source
Strength & mechanical properties2 fields
Magnetic filament — Mechanical Properties
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Brittleness (1–5)Brittle — Proto-pasta describes the filament as more brittle than standard PLA and needing extra care in handling
1 source
Elasticity / flexibility (1–5)Rigid
1 source
Weather & chemical resistance2 fields
Magnetic filament — Environment & Chemical
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Outdoor durabilityDeliberately rustable — Proto-pasta markets the iron content as oxidising when exposed to moisture
1 source
Electrical & ESD propertiesFerromagnetic: Proto-pasta states it responds to magnets and behaves similarly to pure iron
1 source
Health & safety2 fields
Magnetic filament — Health & Safety
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Fume toxicity (1–5)Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study
1 source
Ventilation / filtration requirement (1–5)Open a window / occasional ventilation
1 source
Finishing & post-processing1 field
Magnetic filament — Post-Processing
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Sanding & machiningPolishing and deliberate rusting are the intended finishes
1 source
Solvents & solubility3 fields
Magnetic filament — Solvents & Solubility
Property and unitPublished value and conditionsSources and dates
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix and leaves the iron powder behind; laboratory reagent, not workshop stock.
2 sources
Softened or crazed byAcetone and ethyl acetate plasticise the matrix rather than dissolving it; water attacks the exposed iron.
2 sources
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — PLA has no workshop-safe solvent, and the iron loading blocks the surface flow smoothing needs.
1 source
How to read these values

Values describe representative grades, not every spool. Manufacturer datasheets and independent tests retain their source labels and dates. Printed orientation, test method, conditioning and formulation can change results. Unknown values are —. A listed use is not a certification. Shore A, Shore D and Rockwell hardness are separate scales.

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Product listings and datasheets

1 listing

Historical USD/kg snapshots. Read each listing’s sale/from qualifiers, spool mass, source date, shipping and tax notes. Product figures are separate from the material summary.

Browse 1 product from 1 brand
Proto-pastaMagnetic Iron PLA64.99 USD/kg

$64.99 / 1 kg spool; 500 g $34.99 and 2 kg $139.95, proto-pasta.com, Aug 2026

Handle magnetic-iron-pla. Also listed in pla-metal as a metal-filled decorative grade.

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Proto-pasta Magnetic Iron PLA — product-specific figures
Density (g/cm³)1.85 (manufacturer figure)
Nozzle temperature (°C)192
Bed temperature (°C)60
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions) (mm³/s)2–3 (manufacturer profile, 0.65 mm extrusion width)
Melting point / Vicat (°C)155 melting onset
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