3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs HIPS

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guideHIPS guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore HIPS comparisons
ABS-FR vs HIPS — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSHIPSABS
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]High-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][4]1.04 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[5][6][7][8]1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][9]
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[5][6][7][8]28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[9][5][10]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Available from several mainstream brands[5][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[9][5]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Break-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented230–245 (Simplify3D)[11]
Bed temperature°CNot documented100–115 (Simplify3D)[11]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[12]Enclosure recommended[12]
Part cooling fanNot documentedPart cooling fan not required[11]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][13]Glue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[11]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[12]Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[12]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[11]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[14]Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[11][13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[12]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[12]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Brass fine indefinitely[12]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[12]
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[15]Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[11][16][3]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Slightly sensitive[11]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[13]No special hot-end required[11]
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[4][17][15]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[11]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]
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[18]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[18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[18]Sealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[2]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][19]18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][19]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][19]Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[2][11]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][19]Moderate[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]100 (DSC)[2]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[2]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin rather than the printed part[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedMonths outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[14]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[20]Dissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[3]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[14]Not food safe[14]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]Not biodegradable[14]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]Not accepted in household plastic collection[14]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[21][12]High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[21]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[21]12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[21]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median across all ABS printers, two orders of magnitude above PLA's ≈1 × 10⁸[21]≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[21]
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[21][12]Styrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[21]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[21][12]Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[21]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[14]Sands and paints readily, like ABS[14]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[14]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[11][3]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[3][11]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[11][12]Used as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[22][20]d-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[23][22][24]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[22][25]Limonene also disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades, so an ABS model can flake apart in the same bath.[25]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[26]Limonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[23][25]

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. 3DXMAX HIPS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. 3DXMAX HIPS — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. SUNLU ABS-FR (ABS Flame Retardant) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. YXPOLYER ABS Flame-Retardant product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Flame Retardant Black ABS Coex 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  20. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  24. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  25. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc