Filament comparison
ABS-ESD vs PPS
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ESD-safe ABSABS | PPSHIGHTEMP |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $102.50/kg median; $47.00–$166.67/kg across 4 dated product listings | $116.97/kg median; $84.00–$200.00/kg across 3 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ABS compounded with a conductive carbon filler for static-dissipative parts[1] | Polyphenylene sulfide — a semi-crystalline high-temperature polymer[2][3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.09 (ISO 1183)[1] | 1.28 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) and 1.33 (ISO 1183, Spectrum PPS AM230)[2][4] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 47–167; the middle of the market is about 103[5][6][7] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 84–200; the middle of the market is about 117[5][8][9] |
| 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[5][6][7] | 84-200 across brands and diameters; IEMAI 3D 84 at 1 kg, Spectrum PPS AM230 117 at 750 g, 3DXTech ThermaX PPS 140 at 2.85 mm and 200 at 1.75 mm[5][8][9] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][8] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 500 g and 750 g spools[5][8] |
| Typical applications | Electronics handling fixtures, trays and jigs used around static-sensitive parts[1] | Chemical-plant and under-bonnet parts needing solvent resistance above 200 °C[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | Not documented | 335-345 (3DXTech printed-specimen conditions); 300-330 (Spectrum)[2][4] |
| Bed temperature°C | Not documented | 110-130 (3DXTech); 100-120 (Spectrum)[2][4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended[10] | Actively heated chamber required[11][12] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | Not documented | 60-80 actively heated (Spectrum PPS AM230)[4] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Clean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[10][13] | Adhesive required — Spectrum specifies Magigoo Pro HT[4] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[10] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[14] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10] | Expert / industrial hardware only[11][12] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Hardened steel required[1] | Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[11] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[1] | Non-abrasive when unfilled[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[15] | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 110 °C pre-dry before every print[16] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[13] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[13] | Not documented |
| 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][15] | Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Polymaker states minimal water absorption at 0.05 %[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.01 in 24 h on extruded stock (ASTM D570) — effectively non-absorbing[19] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | At least 3 h at 90 °C in hot dry air if the filament has taken up moisture (Spectrum)[4] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20] | Not documented |
| 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[20] | Little to measure — equilibrium uptake is 0.05 %; 3DXTech still specifies a 110 °C, 4 h pre-dry before printing[3][16] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[20] | Not documented |
| 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][21] | 50 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 65 at break injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 94 at yield on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][4][19] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 2650 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech); 3650 injection-moulded (ISO 527, Spectrum); 5769 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[2][4][19] |
| Elongation at break% | 4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1] | 18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) against 2.0 injection-moulded (Spectrum) and 2.5 on extruded stock — the suppliers disagree by nearly an order of magnitude[2][4][19] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 52 (printed XY, ISO 178, 3DXTech); 141 on extruded stock (ASTM D790)[2][19] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2275 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1] | 2540 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | Not documented | 1.3 notched injection-moulded (ISO 179-1eA, Spectrum); unnotched 18[4] |
| Other impact data | Not documented | Izod notched 33 J/m on extruded PPS stock, converted from 0.62 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[19] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Moderate[2] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | Rockwell 105 (and R124) on extruded PPS stock (ASTM D785)[19] |
| 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. Ensinger lists high creep resistance as a headline property of extruded PPS stock, and Spectrum states that rigidity, strength and creep resistance are unchanged under continuous load at high temperature[19][4] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break 4 %, well below unfilled ABS[1][21] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Rigid[2] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | Not documented | 90 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech); 129 injection-moulded (ISO 75, Spectrum); 204 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi)[2][4][19] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | Not documented | 107 injection-moulded (ISO 75 at 1.81 MPa, Spectrum); 104 on extruded stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi)[4][19] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 105 (DSC)[1] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 283 melting (ISO 11357, 3DXTech) and 280 on extruded stock; Vicat softening 236 at 50 N injection-moulded (ISO 306, Spectrum)[2][4][19] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | Not documented | 170 long-term service on extruded PPS stock, converted from 338 °F[19] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 59.4 (extruded PPS stock, 22-60 °C, ASTM D696; source states 3.3e-5 in/in/°F)[19] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Not documented | UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[22] | Outstanding — PPS resists essentially all solvents below 200 °C[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Excellent — essentially unaffected; extruded stock takes up 0.01 % water in 24 h[19] |
| Food contact | Not food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[14] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[14] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Surface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ABS[1][21] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[23][10] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[23] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[23] | 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[23] | 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[23][10] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[23][10] | Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[23] |
| 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[14] | Not documented |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily after light abrasion[14] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[24][10] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[25][22] | None — PPS does not dissolve in any known solvent below 200 °C.[26][25] |
| Softened or crazed by | Petrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[25][27] | Nothing at 23 °C; Ensinger rates it only conditionally resistant to benzene, dichloromethane, toluene and pyridine.[25] |
| 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.[28] | None — no solvent welds or smooths PPS.[26] |
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
- ThermaX PPS Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
- PPS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2022-04 · 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
- Spectrum PPS AM230 Natural, 1.75 mm / 750 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI 3D PPS 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
- Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXSTAT ESD-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
- THERMAX PPS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 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
- TECATRON natural (PPS) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 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
- PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc