3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs PVA

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
ABS-FR vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS with a flame-retardant package; 3DXTech rates the base resin UL 94 V-0[1]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][4]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[2][3]
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 span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[5][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]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[5][9][10][12][11]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[5][9][10][12][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[5][9]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[13]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanNot documentedPart cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[14]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[13][15]PEI sheet or painter's tape[14]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[13]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Sticks to most surfaces[14]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[16]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[13]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[17][3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedA second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive[3]
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]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[14]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[15]No special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[14]
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][19][18]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[17]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[17]
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[17]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[17]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[17]Sealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[17][3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][20]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][20]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][20]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[2]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][20]Poor — fails after a few cycles[2]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[2]
Thermal Properties
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[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 documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[3]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[21]Dissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[3][14]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[3][2]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[16]Not offered as a food-contact material[2]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[16]PVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[14]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[16]Dissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[14]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[2]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[22][13]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[22]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[22]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[22]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[22][13]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[22][13]Open a window / occasional ventilation[22]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[16]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[14]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[16]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNot applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[14]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedWater is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[3]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[23][13]This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[24][21]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[25][26]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[24][27]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[29]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[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. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · 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 product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  20. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  21. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. 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
  23. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  26. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  27. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc