Filaments

Keeping notes on various FDM filaments here. The glass transition temperature is ideal for annealling. I've got a Google Sheet now chronicling experience with individual filaments.

Qualitative comparisons

Manufacturers employ additives to change the properties of their filaments, which I don't attempt to address here. Properties may change across different batches of the same filament. These are very rough comparisons based off oral wisdom.

• Impact strength: ASA > ABS > PC > PETG > PLA
• Tensile strength: PA >> PC >> ASA > ABS/PETG > PLA
• UV resistance: ASA > ABS
• "Chemical" resistance: PETG > ABS
• Melting temp: PC > ASA > PETG > ABS >> PLA
• Heat resistance: PC > ASA > ABS > PETG > PLA
• Printing speed:
• Offensiveness (odor, VOCs while printing): ABS > ASA, PA, PC
• Acetone postprocessing: ASA/ABS only
• Ease of sanding: PLA > PETG > ABS/ASA
• Ease of painting: PLA > PETG > ABS/ASA
• Tendency to warp: PC > ABS/ASA > PLA > PETG
• Hygroscopicity: PA/TPU > PETG/ABS/ASA > PLA
• Filament density: PETG/PLA > ABS/ASA
• Hotend temp required: PC > ABS/ASA > PETG > PLA

Tables

These data come from the manufacturers' websites and datasheets, and have not been verified. Different manufacturers report different data. These tables are not exhaustive.

Polymaker

Filament	Density (g/cm³)	Glass transition (℃)	Vicat softening (℃)	Heat deflection (℃)	Young's modulus XY (MPa)	Young's modulus Z (MPa)	Tensile strength XY (MPa)	Tensile strength Z (MPa)	Bending modulus XY (MPa)	Charpy XY (kJ/m²)	MSRP ($/kg)
PC-ABS	1.1	109	135	112	1835	1677	40	23	2081	26	49.99
PolyMax PC	1.19	113	117	114	2436	2150	53	41	2050	21	51.99
PolyMax PC-FR	1.2	115	116	110	2634	2743	67	46	2518	11.7	54.99
Polymaker PC-PBT	1.2	140	139	107	1849	1659	43	29	1934	21	54.99
Fiberon PET-CF17	1.34	79	238	148	5481	3559	66	28	4744	5	49.98
Fiberon PA6-GF25	1.2	70		191	4431	3330	85	61	4637	17	59.98
Fiberon PPS-CF10	1.29	98	268	253	5314	2790	36	32	4647	5	139.98
PolyLite PC	1.19	113	120	111	2497	2371	69	53	2640	4	29.99
Fiberon PA6-CF20	1.17	74		215	7454	4355	105	68	8339	13	79.98
Fiberon PA12-CF10	1.06	55		131	3304	1801	72	43	3535	13	139.98

Bambu

Parameter	PLA Aero	ASA	ASA Aero	PC	ABS	ABS-GF	PETG-Trans	PETG-HF	PA6-CF	PPA-CF	PLA-CF	PPS-CF	PAHT-CF	ASA-CF	PA6-GF
Print temp ℃	210 - 260	240 - 270	240 - 280	250 - 270	240 - 270	240 - 270	230 - 260	230 - 260	260 - 290	280 - 310	210 - 240	310 - 340	260 - 290	250 - 280	260 - 290
Print speed mm/s	<180	<250	<150	<300	<300	<180	<220	<300	<100	<100	<200	<100	<100	<250	<130
Flow rate ratio	0.5-0.8	0.93-0.97	0.45-0.80
Filament density g/cm³	1.21	1.05	0.99	1.2	1.05	1.08	1.25	1.28	1.09	1.25	1.22	1.26	1.06	1.02	1.14
Foaming rate	0-120	n/a	0-110	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Vol. expansion ratio	100 - 220	102	100 - 210
Print density g/cm³	0.55 - 1.05	1.03	0.46 - 0.97
Tensile strength MPa	24 ± 2	37 ± 3	32 ± 4	55 ± 4	33 ± 3	36 ± 3	33 ± 4	34 ± 4	102 ± 7	168 ± 4	38 ± 4	87 ± 5	92 ± 7	34 ± 3	75 ± 6
Breaking elongation rate	2.6 ± 0.7	9.2 ± 1.4	5.1 ± 1.6	3.8 ± 0.3	10.5 ± 1.0	6.3 ± 1.2	8.2 ± 1.3	8.6 ± 1.2	5.8 ± 1.6	3.2 ± 0.4	8.4 ± 3.2	1.2 ± 0.4	8.4 ± 1.8	9.6 ± 1.4	3.9 ± 0.8
Bending modulus MPa	1690 ± 120	1920 ± 130	1510 ± 120	2310 ± 70	1880 ± 110	2860 ± 130	1610 ± 130	2050 ± 120	5460 ± 280	9860 ± 480	3950 ± 190	7160 ± 280	4230 ± 210	3740 ± 130	3670 ± 140
Bending strength MPa	45 ± 4	65 ± 5	58 ± 6	108 ± 4	62 ± 4	68 ± 4	68 ± 3	64 ± 3	151 ± 8	208 ± 6	89 ± 4	142 ± 5	125 ± 7	72 ± 5	120 ± 6
Impact strength kJ/m²	28.8 ± 1.3	41.0 ± 2.3	32.0 ± 2.5	34.8 ± 2.1	39 ± 3.6	14.5 ± 1.5	37.4 ± 3.3	31.5 ± 2.2	40.3 ± 2.5	41.7 ± 2.8	23.2 ± 3.7	27.8 ± 2.3	57.5 ± 3.4	14.0 ± 2.2	27.7 ± 2.2
Melt index g/10min	7.7 ± 0.6	7.0 ± 0.8	1.56 ± 0.5	32.2 ± 2.9	34.2 ± 3.8	7.56 ± 1.4	11.7 ± 1.5	28.2 ± 2.7	6.8 ± 0.6	8.4 ± 0.7	3.7 ± 0.6	11.48 ± 1.23	14.4 ± 2.0	1.74 ± 0.3	9.0 ± 0.8
Melting temp ℃	153	210	204	228	200	202	228	214	223	258	165	284	225	210	219
Heat deflection temp ℃	53	100	85	117	87	99	74	69	186	227	55	264	194	110	182
Vicat softening temp ℃	54	106	80	119	94	103	79	70	212	232	69	268	220	108	210