3D printed high carbon content steel and method of preparing the same

A 3D-printed product made of an iron based alloy comprising a metal matrix and grains of carbides embedded in the metal matrix;

• wherein the alloy comprises
• Carbon:
• equal to or greater than 1.4 and equal to or less than 5.0 weight %;
• Chromium:
• equal to or greater than 2.0 and equal to or less than 22.0 weight %;
• Iron:
• balance;
• wherein the alloy further comprises at least two of the elements:
• Tungsten:
• equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than 13 weight %,
• Cobalt:
• equal to or greater than 7 and equal to or less than 18 weight %,
• Molybdenum:
• equal to or greater than 1 and equal to or less than 10 weight %, and
• Vanadium:
• equal to or greater than 3 and equal to or less than 8 weight %;
• and
• wherein the alloy comprises unavoidable trace amount of impurities;
• and
• wherein the maximum carbide area is less than 8 μm2 and wherein the average carbide area is less than 2 μm2;
• and
• wherein the carbide area distribution has a difference between the d90 value and d10 value of not more than 1.90 μm2 and/or has a d90 value of not more than 2.20 μm2;
• wherein the oxygen content in the 3D-printed product is 30 ppm or less;
• and
• wherein the alloy has a toughness of at least 3.8 J and a hardness of at least 871 HV2 kg.