3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS-GF vs PLA Silk

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

Glass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS-GF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
ABS-GF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre ABS (ABS-GF)ABSSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.99/kg median; $24.49–$73.33/kg across 4 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 3DXTech's grade is nominally 10 wt%[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.08 (Bambu Lab) and 1.15 (3DXTech), ISO 1183[2][1]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools span 24–73; the middle of the market is about 35[4][5][6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg24–73 across brands; Siraya Tech 24, Bambu Lab 30, SUNLU 40, 3DXTech 73[4][5][6][7]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[11][12][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[4][5]Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][11][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 750 g and 1 kg spools[5][4]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[17][18]
Typical applicationsStiff, dimensionally stable enclosure and tooling parts; Bambu Lab notes the fibre blurs layer lines into a matte finish[2]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[19]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–280 (Bambu Lab)[2]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab)[2]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[2][20]Open frame is fine[3][21]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab)[2]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[20][22]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
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][23]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield; Bambu Lab positions the fibre as reducing warping[2]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[20]Sticks to anything[24]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[25]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; hardened nozzle mandatory[20]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required[20]Brass fine indefinitely[21]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[20]Non-abrasive[26][21]
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[27][28]Very low[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[29]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[22]No special hot-end required[24]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.53 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.53 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[2]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][30]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[31]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[31]
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[31]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[31]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[31]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[32][24]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa36 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 68 at break[2][1]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][33]
Young's modulusMPa3160 ± 170 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4210[2][1]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%6.3 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 2 at break[2][1]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][32]
Flexural strengthMPa68 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 70[2][1]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2860 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); 3DXTech quotes 4420[2][1]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²4.2 ± 1.1 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[2]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 14.5 ± 1.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa29 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[2]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][33][34]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; notched Charpy falls from 21.5 to 4.2 kJ/m² against unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][35]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
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][35]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[36][37]
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][35]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[38][29]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%81 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C99 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 87 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][35]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C88 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 84 for unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[2][35]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[34]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[32][39]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors[29][40]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[41]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[39][29]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[32]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[25]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[29]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[25]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[42][29]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[25]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[42]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[43][20]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[43]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[43]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[43]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[43][20]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[43][20]None needed in a normal room[43]
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[25]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[40][29]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[25]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[29][44]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[29]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[45][20]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailBambu Lab describes a smooth matte finish with micro-spot gloss that blurs layer lines[2]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre as sludge; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents do the same.[46][41]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[47]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[46][48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[47][49]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[49][41]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[50][49]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. ABS-GF — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ABS-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. SUNLU ABS-GF (ABS Glass Fiber) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  27. FIBREX ABS+GF — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  33. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  34. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  36. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  39. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  42. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  43. 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
  44. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  45. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  46. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  47. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  48. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  49. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. 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