Filaments

Keeping notes on various FDM printing filaments here. Prices are per kilogram spool unless stated otherwise. Printing was done on a Bambu Carbon X1C unless stated otherwise.

Polylactic acid (PLA)

• Bambu silky green 2024-06 $25: beautiful results

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)

• Overture 95A green 2024-06 $30: stringy as hell

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

• Bambu black/green 2024-06 $14 (4kg @ $56): solid workhorse

High impact polystyrene (HIPS)

Support material for ABS/PET, dissolvable

• Bambu green Support-G $80 ($40/.5kg): expensive!

Acrylic styrene acrylonitrile (ASA)

• Atomic Filaments black 2024-06 $19 (7kg @ $130): lay the first layer at 105, and remaining layers at 115.

Polycarbonate (PC)

• Bambu clear black 2024-06 $40: befouled my .4mm hotend. Very lovely when it prints.
  • warping at 115, stick to builtin 110

Polyamide Nylon (PA)

Polycaprolactam (Nylon 6, PA6)

• Atomic Filaments black

Polyphthalamide (PPA)

• "High-performance nylon"

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG)

• Atomic Filaments black Carbon Fiber: result is very tough
  • most reliable method seems to be cold plate (not textured PEI)
  • 270/60, no fans
  • or *very clean* textured PEI at 270/80, default 70 is no good
• Bambu Support-W (breakaway PLA support) $70 ($35/.5kg): works well enough, expensive

Bambu filaments parameter table

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
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
Print speed mm/s	<180	<250	<150	<300	<300	<180	<220	<300	<100	<100	<200	<100	<100	<250
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Melting temp ℃	153	210	204	228	200	202	228	214	223	258	165	284	225	210
Heat deflection temp ℃	53	100	85	117	87	99	74	69	186	227	55	264	194	110
Vicat softening temp ℃	54	106	80	119	94	103	79	70	212	232	69	268	220	108

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: PA6-CF >> 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, 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 > PETG/ABS/ASA > PLA
• Filament density: PETG/PLA > ABS/ASA
• Hotend temp required: PC > ABS/ASA > PETG > PLA