3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-GF vs PC-ABS

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

Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF) guidePC/ABS blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-GF comparisonsMore PC-ABS comparisons
ABS-GF vs PC-ABS — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABSPC/ABS blendPC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$45.99/kg median; $34.99–$84.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[1][2]Polycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1]1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[3][4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[6][7][8][9]1 kg spools cluster near 50[10][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[6][7][8][9]35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[10][7][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Available from several mainstream brands[10][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[7][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[10][7]
Typical applicationsStiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2]Automotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2]250–270 (Polymaker)[3]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2]90–105 (Polymaker)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][13]Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]90–100 (Polymaker)[3]
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[2]Off (Polymaker)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[13][14]PEI with a glue stick or a commercial adhesive[15]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s14 at Bambu Lab's 180 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[2][16]20 at Polymaker's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][16]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; Bambu Lab positions the fibre as reducing warping[2]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[3][13]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15][17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[18]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker flags stringing as a common PC problem[17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[13]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3][13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[13]Brass fine indefinitely[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[13]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher for the glass-filled grade[19][20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a 120 °C pre-dry of 4 h or more[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Slightly sensitive[15]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[14]All-metal hot end required (Simplify3D)[15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Low (0.1–0.3 %) — the PC matrix takes up 0.15–0.25 % and 3DXTech specifies a 120 °C, 4 h or more pre-dry[22][23][21]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2]75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[24]
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[24]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[17][24]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[24]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1]39.9 ± 1.0 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 60 at break for its FR PC/ABS[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1]1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[3][4]
Elongation at break%6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1]4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1]66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[3][4]
Flexural modulusMPa2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1]2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2]25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2]Notched Charpy still 13 ± 2 kJ/m² at −30 °C printed XY (Polymaker, ISO 179-1/1eA), against 1.5 in Z. Stratasys prints Izod notched at 241 J/m XZ against 34.0 J/m ZX, and unnotched 655 against 101 J/m (ASTM D256, F900 T16).[3][5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]25.9-30.2 at break printed ZX (Stratasys, ASTM D638 on the F900 and Fortus 450mc); 22.9 +/- 1.2 printed Z, ISO 527 (Polymaker)[3][5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a PC/ABS filament[26]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 3160 MPa against 2200 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25]Good. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC/ABS was still running unbroken at 30 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window at 39-47 MPa (ASTM D638)[27]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no S-N curve found; notched Charpy falls to 4.2 kJ/m² against 21.5 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]75-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 57 (Polymaker, printed Z against XY tensile)[3][5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25]112 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 117.9 in XY and 126.1 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi), against 125.0 moulded[3][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][25]106 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa, Polymaker); Stratasys prints 107.5 in XY and 112.0 in XZ (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi), against 102.9 moulded[3][5]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[3][4][5]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[23]
Annealing responseNot documented90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[17]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[28]Withstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[17]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[18]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Not biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[18]Mechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[29][13]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[29]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[29]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[29]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[29]
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[29][13]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[29][13]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[29][13]
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[18]Sands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[15]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedAcetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[3]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[30][13]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[15]
Dimensional accuracy & detailBambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[31][28]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[32][31]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[31][33]Petrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[32][31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[34][28]Acetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[3][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. FibreX ABS+GF10 Glass Fiber ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ABS-GF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Polymaker PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  6. ABS-GF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU ABS-GF (ABS Glass Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Reli3D PC-ABS Filament, Black, 1000 g spool Reli3D (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. SUNLU PC-ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. FIBREX ABS+GF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  28. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  29. 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
  30. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  33. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds