3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs PC-ESD

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guideESD-safe PC guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore PC-ESD comparisons
ABS-FR vs PC-ESD — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSESD-safe PCPC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$180.00/kg median; $180.00–$180.00/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]Polycarbonate compounded with a conductive filler for static-dissipative parts[2]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][3]1.24 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech); Stratasys specific gravity 1.195 (ASTM D792)[2][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[5][6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 180[5]
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]180 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in this group[5]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools plus Stratasys-compatible cartridges[5]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Electronics fixtures and trays that need PC heat resistance and static dissipation together[2]
Printing Parameters
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[9]Enclosure required (passive)[9][10]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[9][11]PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[12]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[9]Severe — heated chamber needed[9][10]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12][13]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[14]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[13]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[9]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[9]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[9]Hardened steel required[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[2]
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]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry[16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[11]Slightly sensitive[12]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[11]All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[12]
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][17][15]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry[18][19][16]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]
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[20]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[13][20]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[20]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[13]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]68 at break (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech) — above the 58 of 3DXTech's unfilled ezPC; Stratasys prints 47.6-49.4 at yield in XZ (ASTM D638)[2][21][4]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2300 (printed XY, ISO 527); Stratasys prints 1960 in XZ and 1810-1910 in ZX (ASTM D638)[2][4]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][22]6 at break (printed XY, ISO 527), against 14 for the unfilled grade[2][21]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]95 (printed XY, ISO 178); Stratasys prints 82.6-83.2 at break in XZ against 46.3-49.5 in ZX (ASTM D790)[2][4]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2310 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented32.5-37.9 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the Fortus 450mc and F900)[4]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][22]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for an ESD grade[23]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][22]Excellent — holds load for years. Moulded unfilled PC was still running unbroken under 41 MPa tensile creep at room temperature when the test was stopped, and the conductive filler leaves the glass transition unchanged at 142 °C, so the creep mechanism is polycarbonate's[24][4]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][22]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented68-77 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented143-146 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi); 135 moulded[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented140-144 printed in XY, XZ and ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); 124 moulded[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]143 (DSC, 3DXTech) and 142 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426)[2][4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[19]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented68.4 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D696; source states 3.8e-5 in/in/°F); no figure is published for a conductive-filled grade[23]
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[25]Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[13]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[14]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[13]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]Not biodegradable[13]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[13]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance 10⁷–10⁹ ohm/sq, the static-dissipative band (ASTM D257), against above 10¹³ for unfilled ezPC[2][21]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[26][9]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[26]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[26]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[26]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[26]
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[26][9]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[26][9]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[26][9]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedConductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[2]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[14]Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[12]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[14]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[12]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[12]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[27][9]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[12]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[28][25]Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[29]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[28][30]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[31]Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[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

  1. Firewire Flame Retardant ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PC-ESD — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2024-10 · 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. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  11. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 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. 3DXSTAT ESD-PC — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  18. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  22. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  23. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  25. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  26. 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
  27. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  30. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds