3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-FR vs PVDF

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

Flame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS) guidePVDF guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-FR comparisonsMore PVDF comparisons
ABS-FR vs PVDF — documented properties and sources
PropertyFlame-retardant ABS (FR-ABS)ABSPVDFENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$52.00/kg median; $44.99–$120.00/kg across 5 dated product listings$250.67/kg median; $250.67–$250.67/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]Polyvinylidene fluoride — a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer[2][3]
Densityg/cm³1.18 (ISO 1183) — above unfilled ABS at 1.05 because of the retardant loading[1][4]1.71 (ISO 1183) — the densest unfilled filament in the dataset[2]
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 251[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]251 at 3DXTech's 750 g pricing — the most expensive material in the whole dataset[5]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide[5][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g spools[5]
Typical applicationsElectrical enclosures and transport interiors that must meet a flammability rating[1]Chemical-plant fittings, semiconductor handling and parts needing outstanding UV and chemical resistance[2]
Printing Parameters
Bed temperature°CNot documented70–110 (3DXTech FluorX)[2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[10]Enclosure required (passive)[2]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[10][11]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[10]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[2]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[12]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10]Expert / industrial hardware only[2][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[10]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades[2]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[1]Non-abrasive when unfilled[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[13]Low — 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns, no minimum layer height and states drying is not required[9]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[11]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[11]Not documented
Other hardware wearNot documentedHydrogen fluoride released on overheating is extremely corrosive and will attack hotend and enclosure metalwork as well as people[3]
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][14][13]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — fluoropolymers are essentially non-hygroscopic[2]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[15]Not documented
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[15]Not applicable in practice — 3DXTech states drying is not required for PVDF, so there is no moisture-driven strength loss to measure[9]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[15]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa45 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]51 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Young's modulusMPa1990 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]2450 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Elongation at break%4 at break (printed XY, ISO 527) — well below the 10 % of unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][16]25 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]
Flexural strengthMPa80 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]50 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Flexural modulusMPa2250 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1800 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod 133 J/m on extruded PVDF stock, converted from 2.49 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[17]
Brittleness1–5Moderate — elongation at break falls to 4 % from 10 % for the unfilled grade[1][16]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[2]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M79 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D785)[17]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 105 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][16]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; elongation at break falls to 4 % against 10 % for unfilled 3DXTech ABS[1][16]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[2]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented149 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 300 °F)[17]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented113 on extruded PVDF stock (ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 235 °F)[17]
Glass transition (Tg)°C105 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented170 melting (ISO 11357)[2]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented149 long term and short term on extruded PVDF stock (converted from 300 °F)[17]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented127.8 (extruded PVDF stock, ASTM D696; source states 7.1e-5 in/in/°F) — the highest thermal expansion of any engineering polymer in this dataset[17]
Flammability / UL 94UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm, rated on the base resin rather than the printed part[1]UL 94 V-0 on extruded PVDF stock; Ensinger lists inherent flame resistance[17]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedExcellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Ensinger lists good UV and weather resistance and high gamma radiation resistance for PVDF stock[2][17]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[18]Outstanding — resistant to most acids, solvents and oxidising agents, which is the reason to use it[2]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[2]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[12]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[12]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[12]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[19][10]Very high — toxic decomposition products; local exhaust mandatory. Above 315 °C thermal decomposition yields hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide[3]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[19]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[19]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[19][10]Above 315 °C: hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen cyanide, phenols, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dense smoke. HF is extremely corrosive, its skin burns may not be immediately visible or painful, and exposure can be fatal by skin absorption, inhalation or ingestion[3]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[19][10]Local exhaust to outside / fume hood — the SDS states local exhaust is preferred[3]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedMolten polymer causes thermal burns and must not be pulled off the skin. If HF is detected during a decomposition event, cut the heat but keep the extraction running, ventilate, and clear non-essential people from the area[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[12]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[12]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[20][10]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedThe processing window sits well below the 315 °C decomposition threshold, so nozzle temperature must be controlled rather than raised to chase flow[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[21][18]THF, MEK, DMF, DMAc, NMP, DMSO and trimethyl phosphate dissolve 5–10 wt% at ambient — Arkema's active solvents, all lab reagents.[22]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[21][23]Acetone, MIBK, cyclohexanone, butyl acetate and glycol ethers swell it; alkalis above pH 12 attack the homopolymer.[22][24]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[25]None for the workshop — the active solvents (NMP, DMAc, DMF) are laboratory reagents used for casting membranes, not joints.[22]

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. FluorX PVDF Technical Data Sheet v3 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FluorX PVDF Safety Data Sheet v1.1 3DXTech · 2026-08 · msds
  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. FluorX PVDF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. FIREWIRE FR-ABS — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  15. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  17. TECAFLON PVDF natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. 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
  20. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Kynar PVDF — Design properties: solubility and irradiation (active and latent solvents) Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  23. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Kynar PVDF resin — chemical and fuel resistance Arkema · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc