3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs PLA Matte

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guideMatte PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore PLA Matte comparisons
ABS-FR vs PLA Matte — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSMatte PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]PLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][4]1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[3][2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[5][6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[9][10][11]
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]11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[12][10][13]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[12][11][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[9][14]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Display models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[15]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[3][2]
Bed temperature°CNot documented35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[16]Open frame is fine[3][2]
Part cooling fanNot documentedFan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[3][2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[16][17]Cool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[3][2]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[16]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Sticks to anything[18]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[16]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[3][2]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[16]Brass fine indefinitely[20][3][2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[2][3][21]
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[22]Very low[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[17]No special hot-end required[18]
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][24][22]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[3][2][25]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[26]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[26]
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[26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[26]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[26]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][18]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[3][27]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[3][2]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][28]14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[3][21]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[27]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[3][27]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][28]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][28]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[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][28]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[29][23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][2]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]61 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[27]
Annealing responseNot documented50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[3]
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 by the major brands[21][30]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[23][31]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[32]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[30][23]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[21]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[19]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[23]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[33][23]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[33]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[34][16]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[34]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[34]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[34]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[34][16]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[34][16]None needed in a normal room[34]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[19]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[31][23]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[19]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[23][35]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[36][16]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedMatte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[37][32]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[38]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[37][39]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[38][40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[40]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[41][40]

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. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  25. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  30. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  31. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  32. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  33. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  34. 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
  35. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  36. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  37. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  39. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper