3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs rPLA

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guideRecycled PLA (rPLA) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore rPLA comparisons
ABS-FR vs rPLA — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSRecycled PLA (rPLA)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$20.79/kg median; $16.05–$40.64/kg across 8 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]PLA regranulated from post-industrial PLA manufacturing waste; post-consumer feedstock is rare[2][3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][5]1.24 (ISO 1183)[2]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 45–120; the middle of the market is about 52[6][7][8][9]1 kg spools run 20–22[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]16–41 across brands; Fiberlogy refill 16, Filamentive 750 g 41[13][14]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6]Available from several mainstream brands[3][4][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[15][13][3]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]General-purpose printing where the feedstock's recycled content matters more than an exact colour match[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 guaranteed by Prusa Research today; the 2021 datasheet specified ±0.05, against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PLA[3][2][16]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented210 ± 10 (Prusament); 200 ± 15 (Filamentive)[2][4]
Bed temperature°CNot documented40–60 (Prusament); up to 60 (Filamentive)[2][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[17]Open frame is fine[2][18]
Part cooling fanNot documented100 %[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[17][19]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[17]None — brim not generally needed[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17]Sticks to anything[20]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[21]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[17]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][18]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely[18]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[22][18]
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[23]Very low[18]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[19]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[19]No special hot-end required[20]
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][25][23]Moderate — 0.3 % after both 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method), against 0.19 % in 7 days for virgin Prusament PLA[2][16]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.3 after 24 h and 7 days at 28 °C / 37 % RH (Prusa Polymers method)[2]
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[27][20]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]49 printed horizontal and 55 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1, yield); virgin Prusament PLA gives 51 and 59 by the same method[2][16]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2100 printed horizontal, 2300 printed vertical XZ (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2300 and 2400[2][16]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][28]3.1 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1); virgin Prusament PLA 2.9[2][16]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]82 printed horizontal, 87 printed vertical XZ (ISO 178); virgin Prusament PLA 83 and 99[2][16]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]3100 printed horizontal (ISO 178) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[2][16]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 14.0 printed horizontal (ISO 179-1); virgin Prusament PLA 13[2][16]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented21 ± 2 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test); virgin Prusament PLA 17 ± 3 by the same test[2][16]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][28]Brittle — snaps with little warning[24][22]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented80 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); virgin Prusament PLA 81[2][16]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][28]Poor — no recycled-PLA creep data published; virgin PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[29][30]
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)[31][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[22]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PLA[2][16]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa); virgin Prusament PLA 55[2][16]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented55 (Filamentive states heat resistance up to 55 °C)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[32]
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[27][33]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[24][34]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[35]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[33][24]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[27]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[21]Filamentive certifies its rPLA to EN 71-3 and lists it food safe; printed layer grooves still harbour bacteria[4][24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[21]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[4]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[21]The feedstock itself; Filamentive uses 50 % post-industrial content and runs a PLA take-back scheme[4][14]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[36][17]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[36]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[36]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[36][17]Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment uses organic waste pigments such as red algae, which give a noticeable scent while printing[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[36][17]None needed in a normal room[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[21]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[34][24]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[21]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSuperglue for most joints; acetone works on some grades depending on additives and colour[3]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[37][17]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[38][35]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[39]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[38][40]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[39][41]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[41]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[42][41]

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 PLA Recycled Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2021-12 · tds
  3. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  4. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. 3D-Fuel ReFuel Recycled PLA 1kg 3D-Fuel · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Proto-pasta Black Recycled PLA 1kg Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Formfutura ReForm rPLA (White) 1kg Filament2Print · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Filamentive PLA (rPLA) 750 g CREATE Education · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Kimya PLA-R 750 g Crea3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  23. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  28. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  29. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  32. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  33. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  35. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  36. 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
  37. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  40. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  42. 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