פרטים
Proto-pasta Magnetic Iron PLA - as its name implies - responds to magnets and behaves similarly to pure iron, even to the point of rusting! Magnetism opens up a new world of practical applications and fun creations, and is an especially great choice for costume pieces and props!
Magnetic vs. Ferromagnetic
Iron is defined as “magnetic” but it is, more accurately speaking, ferromagnetic. That means it is attracted to magnetic fields. In short, magnets stick to it. So, you should note that magnets stick to prints made from Magnetic Iron PLA, but printed objects will not function as magnets. Proto-Pasta call their material “Magnetic Iron PLA” to communicate that this material allows users to include the added benefits of magnetism when designing and printing 3D objects.
Could I magnetize my finished prints?
We haven't tested this ourselves, but it makes sense that thin prints could be magnetized by rubbing them 10-100 times across the positive side of a large magnet. Ferromagnets will tend to stay magnetized to some extent after being subjected to an external magnetic field due to a fascinating process called hysteresis. We will test this theory in a future blog post.
Permanent magnetism requires the use a strong electromagnetic coil (around 2 Tesla), but that process would melt your print, so as awesome as it sounds, don't try it.
Rusting Magnetic Iron Prints
To rust a print made with Magnetic PLA, lightly abrade the surface of your print with a wire brush to expose more iron particles to the air, then submerge the print in a salty solution for 2-3 days (or longer, if you're going for a very rusty look!).
Printing tips
Similar to regular PLA (from tests it might require 10 degrees cooler than what we usually print PLA at)
