Check out my first novel, midnight's simulacra!

Filaments

From dankwiki

Keeping notes on various FDM printing filaments here.

The glass transition temperature is ideal for annealling.

I've got a Google Sheet now.

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, 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

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