Filament comparison
ABS-ESD vs PETG-ESD
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe ABSABS | ESD-safe PETGPETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $102.50/kg median; $47.00–$166.67/kg across 4 dated product listings | $102.99/kg median; $65.98–$140.00/kg across 2 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS compounded with a conductive carbon filler for static-dissipative parts[1] | PETG compounded with a conductive filler to bring surface resistivity into the static-dissipative range[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.09 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.24 (Fiberon) and 1.28 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 47–167; the middle of the market is about 103[4][5][6] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 66–140; the middle of the market is about 103[7][4] |
| 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[4][5][6] | 66–140 across brands; Fiberon PETG-ESD 66, 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG 140[7][4] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][4] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[4] | 1.75 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 3 kg spools[7][4] |
| Typical applications | Electronics handling fixtures, trays and jigs used around static-sensitive parts[1] | Electronics fixtures, trays and jigs handled around static-sensitive components[2][3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 250–290 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 70–80 (Fiberon); 70 (3DXTech)[2][3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended[8] | Open frame is fine — Fiberon specifies room-temperature chamber[2] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[8][9] | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[10][11] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | Not documented | Fiberon rates the material to 500 mm/s, equivalent to 40 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer — a machine-limited headline rather than a measured melt rate[2][12] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[8] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[8] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[10][11] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[13] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[11] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[8] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; resistivity depends on getting the nozzle temperature right[2] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Hardened steel required[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[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[14] | Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its ESD-PETG, only a 65 °C pre-dry[15] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[9] | Slightly sensitive[16] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[9] | No special hot-end required[16] |
| 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[17][18][14] | Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH and 3DXTech specifies a 65 °C, 4 h pre-dry[10][15] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.41 equilibrium water absorption (Fiberon PETG-ESD)[2] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 65 °C for 3 h (Fiberon)[2] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[19] |
| 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[19] | Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[19] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[19] | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[19][11] |
| 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][20] | 36.1 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 50 at break[2][3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 1983 ± 75 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Elongation at break% | 4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 7.3 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 13 at break[2][3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 54.0 ± 2.5 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2275 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 1651 ± 141 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon)[2] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Charpy unnotched 29.3 ± 2.2 printed XY (Fiberon, ISO 179)[2] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 20.7 ± 0.6 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon)[2] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Moderate[2] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1] | Below average — no ESD-grade creep test; unfilled PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[21][22][23][24] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break 4 %, well below unfilled ABS[1][20] | Moderate — no ESD-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[25] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[2] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 57 (Fiberon, printed Z against XY tensile)[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 76 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Fiberon)[2] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 72 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Fiberon)[2] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 105 (DSC)[1] | 77 (Fiberon) and 80 (3DXTech), DSC[2][3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 86 (Fiberon, ISO 306)[2] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[26] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[27] | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[11] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[13] | Not certified for food contact as filament[11] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[13] | Not biodegradable[11] |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[13] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[11] |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ABS[1][20] | Surface resistivity falls with nozzle temperature: 7.0×10⁶–1.6×10⁷ ohm at 250 °C, 3.2×10⁵–4.7×10⁵ at 270 °C and below 1×10⁴ at 290 °C (Fiberon); 3DXTech quotes 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq[2][3] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[28][8] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[28] | 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[28] | Not documented |
| 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[28][8] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[28][8] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[28] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[13] | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[16] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[13] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Not documented | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[16] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Not documented | No practical vapour smoothing[16] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[29][8] | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[16] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Not documented | Nozzle temperature has to be held steady — it moves surface resistivity by three orders of magnitude[2] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[30][27] | No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[31][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.[30][33] | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[31] |
| 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.[32] | Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[32] |
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
- Fiberon PETG-ESD Technical Data Sheet V1.1 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · 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
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- 3DXSTAT ESD-PETG — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — 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
- PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · 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
- Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc