3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs BVOH

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guideBVOH (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore BVOH comparisons
ABS-FR vs BVOH — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSBVOH (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]Butenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer — a vinyl alcohol copolymer that dissolves faster and in cooler water than straight PVA[2]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][3]Not documented
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[4][5][6][7]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[2]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg45–120 across brands; SUNLU 45, YXPOLYER 50, Coex 3D 52, 3DXTech 107 at 750 g pricing; the FR PC/ABS grade runs 120[4][5][6][7]166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[2]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[2]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[2]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Dissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[2]
Printing Parameters
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[8]Open frame is fine[9]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[8][10]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[8]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[8]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[11]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[8]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[12]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer[9]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[8]Brass fine indefinitely[9]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[9]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns and no minimum layer height for its FR-ABS, only an 80 °C pre-dry[13]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[12]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[10]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[10]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[3][14][13]Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[12][9]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12]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[12]Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[12]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[12]Sealed with desiccant at all times[12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][15]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][15]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][15]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][15]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin rather than the printed part[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[16]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[2]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[11]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[11]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[11]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[17][8]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[17]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[17]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[17]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[17][8]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[17][8]Open a window / occasional ventilation[17]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[11]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[11]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[18][8]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.[19][16]Water: about 1 g of BVOH per 20 g of water, several hours; warmer water is faster but must not be too hot.[20][2]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[19][21]Nothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[23]None — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[20]

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. Firewire Flame Retardant ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Fiberlogy BVOH Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. SUNLU ABS-FR (ABS Flame Retardant) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. YXPOLYER ABS Flame-Retardant product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Flame Retardant Black ABS Coex 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  10. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  15. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  16. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. 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
  18. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  20. Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  21. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc