3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs rPETG

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guideRecycled PETG (rPETG) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore rPETG comparisons
ABS-FR vs rPETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]PETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][5]1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[2][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[6][7][8][9]1 kg spools cluster near 29[6][10][11][12]
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[6][7][8][9]17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[6][10][11][12]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]Available from several mainstream brands[6][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[11][10]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Not documented
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[2][13]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[2][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[14]Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[3]
Part cooling fanNot documented50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[2][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[14][15]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[13][16]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[14]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[13][16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[17]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[16]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[14]Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[14]Brass fine indefinitely[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Not documented
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[18]Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[19][20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Slightly sensitive[19]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[15]No special hot-end required[19]
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[5][21][18]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[13]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[2]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]
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[22]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[22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[22]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[22][16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[2][13][3]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[2][13]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][23]4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[2][3]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[2][13]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[2]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[2]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[2][13]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][23]Moderate[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[2][13]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][23]Below average — no recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[24][25][26][27]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][23]Moderate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[28]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[2][13][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]
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]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[29]
Environment & Chemical
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[30]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[16]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[17]Not certified for food contact as filament[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Not biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]The feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[31][14]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[31]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[31]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[31]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[31][14]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[31][14]Open a window / occasional ventilation[31]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[17]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[19]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[17]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[32][14]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[19]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[33][30]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[34][35]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[33][36]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[34]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[35]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[35]

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. Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. SUNLU ABS-FR (ABS Flame Retardant) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER ABS Flame-Retardant product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Flame Retardant Black ABS Coex 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  24. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  27. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  29. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  30. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  31. 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
  32. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc