3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-ESD vs BVOH

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

ESD-safe ABS guideBVOH (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-ESD comparisonsMore BVOH comparisons
ABS-ESD vs BVOH — documented properties and sources
PropertyESD-safe ABSABSBVOH (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$102.50/kg median; $47.00–$166.67/kg across 4 dated product listings$165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS compounded with a conductive carbon filler for static-dissipative parts[1]Butenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer — a vinyl alcohol copolymer that dissolves faster and in cooler water than straight PVA[2]
Densityg/cm³1.09 (ISO 1183)[1]Not documented
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 47–167; the middle of the market is about 103[3][4][5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[2]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg47–167 across brands; IEMAI 47, YXPOLYER 65, 3DXTech 140 at 750 g pricing; the EMI-shielding ABS grade runs 167[3][4][5]166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[2]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[3]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[2]
Typical applicationsElectronics handling fixtures, trays and jigs used around static-sensitive parts[1]Dissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[2]
Printing Parameters
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[6]Open frame is fine[7]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[6][8]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[6]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[6]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[9]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[6]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[7]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[1]Brass fine indefinitely[7]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1]Non-abrasive[7]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-ABS, only an 80 °C pre-dry[11]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[10]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[8]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[8]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the ABS matrix takes up 0.51–0.65 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 80 °C, 4 h pre-dry[12][13][11]Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[10][7]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[10]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[10]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[10]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[10]Sealed with desiccant at all times[10]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa58 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — the conductive filler raises strength above the unfilled grade's 42[1][14]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2275 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break 4 %, well below unfilled ABS[1][14]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[15]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[2]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[9]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[9]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[9]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ABS[1][14]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[16][6]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[16]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[16]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[16]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene dominates. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea[16][6]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[16][6]Open a window / occasional ventilation[16]
Dust & fibre handling hazardConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[9]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[9]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[17][6]This is the support material[2]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[18][15]Water: about 1 g of BVOH per 20 g of water, several hours; warmer water is faster but must not be too hot.[19][2]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[18][20]Nothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[21]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[22]None — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[19]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Fiberlogy BVOH Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. IEMAI ESD-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. YXPOLYER ABS ESD product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  7. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  8. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  9. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  14. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  15. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  17. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  20. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc