3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
ABS-ESD vs PC
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe ABSABS | Polycarbonate (PC)PC |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $102.50/kg median; $47.00–$166.67/kg across 4 dated product listings | $39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS compounded with a conductive carbon filler for static-dissipative parts[1] | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.09 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[2][4][5][6] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 47–167; the middle of the market is about 103[7][8][9] | 1 kg spools cluster near 40[5][10][11] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 47–167 across brands; IEMAI 47, YXPOLYER 65, 3DXTech 140 at 750 g pricing; the EMI-shielding ABS grade runs 167[7][8][9] | 30–92 across brands; Polymaker PolyLite 30, Bambu Lab 40, Polymaker PolyMax 52, Prusament 59, 3DXTech ezPC 64 and 3DXMAX PC 92[10][5][11][7] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7] | Available from several mainstream brands[5][10][7][11] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[7] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[10][7][11] |
| Typical applications | Electronics handling fixtures, trays and jigs used around static-sensitive parts[1] | Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[3][2] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | Not documented | ±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[4] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 250–280 across brands; Prusament 275 ± 10, Bambu Lab 260–280, Polymaker 250–270. Polymaker's material guide gives a wider 260–310 for PC and its composites[4][5][2][3] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[4][5][2] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended[12] | Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 70–100 °C chamber, Bambu Lab 45–60 °C and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[2][5][12] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2][5] |
| Part cooling fan | Not documented | Off or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[2][4][5] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][13] | Textured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[2][14] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | 24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker allows 50–200 mm/s and its material guide advises 30–60 for layer adhesion[5][2][3][15] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[12] | Severe — heated chamber needed[2][3][12] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12] | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][12] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[16] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed[3] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[12] | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3][12] |
| Extruder requirement | Not documented | All-metal hotend rated to 300 °C; Polymaker advises larger nozzles and high chamber temperatures to improve bonding[3] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely[12] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Non-abrasive[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-ABS, only an 80 °C pre-dry[17] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[3] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[13] | Slightly sensitive[18] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[13] | All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[18][3] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 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[19][20][17] | Low — 0.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.15 % after 7 days at 22 % RH. Polymaker nonetheless calls PC highly hygroscopic in service[5][4][3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.15 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[5][4] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker); 70–80 °C for 6–8 h (Polymaker material guide)[5][2][3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[21] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[21] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker 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[21] | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[3][21] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[21] | Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[3] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 58 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — the conductive filler raises strength above the unfilled grade's 42[1][22] | 53.4 (PolyMax) to 69.1 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 62 +/- 2 and Prusament 63 +/- 1 at yield; Stratasys 62.3-64.6 at yield printed XZ, ASTM D638 (its PC White table duplicates the Antero 840CN03 figures and was not used)[2][23][5][4][24][6] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[5][2][4][24] |
| Elongation at break% | 4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 3.8 (Bambu Lab) to 4.8 (PolyLite) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 14 at break, Prusament 5.8 at yield[5][2][24][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[23][5][4][2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2275 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[23][2][4] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[2][23][4] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's pendulum in either orientation (ISO 179-1); PolyMax PC retains 9.2 kJ/m2 notched at -30 °C. Stratasys PC Black gives 85.3 MPa flexural strength at break in ZX against no break in XZ (ASTM D790, printed)[4][23][6] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 37.1-45.3 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ASTM D638); 41.4 (PolyMax) to 56 (Bambu Lab) printed Z; Prusa's interlayer adhesion test gives 21 +/- 2[4][23][5][6] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3][4] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Shore D 79 (Prusa Polymers method) and Shore D 79 on extruded PC stock (ASTM D2240); Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales[4][25] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1] | Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC was still running unbroken at 41 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window only at 47-52 MPa (ASTM D638)[26] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break 4 %, well below unfilled ABS[1][22] | Good[4][3] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 59-73 (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); 76 for PolyLite PC and 90 for Bambu Lab (printed Z against XY tensile)[5][2][6] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 110 (PolyMax PC-FR) to 114 (PolyMax PC), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 112, PolyLite 111, Prusament 113. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 144 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi)[23][2][5][4][6] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 93 (Prusament) to 117 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite 107, PolyMax 99. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 141 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi)[4][5][2][23][6] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 105 (DSC)[1] | 113 (Polymaker, DSC), 142.5 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426 inflection point) and 145 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Polymaker's material guide quotes 150[2][5][3][6] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[2][23] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend; extruded PC stock is rated 121 long term (converted from 250 °F)[4][25] |
| Annealing response | Not documented | 90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[2] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 51.6 in XY over -50 to 30 °C, falling to 35.8 over 30-75 °C and 11.5 over 75-130 °C; 49.2 in XZ over -50 to 120 °C (printed, ASTM E831). Extruded PC stock gives 68.4 (ASTM D696)[6][25] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[27][2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Not documented | Degrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[3] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[28] | Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Good — minor absorption[5] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[16] | Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[3] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[16] | Not biodegradable[3] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16] | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[3] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ABS[1][22] | Surface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[24][3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[29][12] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[29] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[29] | ≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[29] |
| Hazardous species emitted | Styrene 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[29][12] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[29][12] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29][12] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[16] | Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[18] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[16] | Optical clarity survives printing, so transparent parts are usually left unpainted[3] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[18] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[18] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[30][12] | Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[18] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Warping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[2][3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[31][28] | Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[32] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[31][33] | Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[32] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[34] | Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[35] |
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
- 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PC (Polycarbonate) — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI ESD-ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER ABS ESD product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyMax PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
- PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- 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
- HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds