3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs ASA-GF

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guideGlass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore ASA-GF comparisons
ABS+ vs ASA-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSGlass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF)ASA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$29.95/kg median; $26.99–$33.99/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryABS reformulated for lower warping and a higher glass transition; Polymaker's ABS Pro and ABS Max reach Tg 114.9 and 126.3 °C against 101 °C for PolyLite ABS[1][2][3]ASA reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 10 wt% (Spectrum ASA-X GF10), 15 wt% (ZYLtech ASA-GF)[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.07 (ZYLtech) and 1.11 (Spectrum), ISO 1183[4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[6]1 kg spools cluster near 28[7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[6][9][10]27–34 across brands; Ambrosia 27, ZYLtech 30, Siraya Tech 34[7][8][11]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][4][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[5][7]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Outdoor brackets and mounts that need stiffness and dimensional stability under sun and moisture[4][5]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.01 at 95 % probability and ±0.02 at 100 % (ZYLtech)[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]240–270 (Spectrum); 240–280 (ZYLtech)[4][5]
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]80–100 (Spectrum); 90–110 on PEI (ZYLtech)[4][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][12]Enclosure recommended[12]
Part cooling fanNot documented0–20 % (Spectrum)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][13]PEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[14][15]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sUp to 250 mm/s (ABS Pro) and 200 mm/s (ABS Max), equivalent to 20 and 16 on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][2][16]2.4–5.6 at Spectrum's 30–70 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; ZYLtech allows up to 200 mm/s[4][5][16]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[12]Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[12]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[17]Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[14]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; ZYLtech requires a hardened nozzle of 0.6 mm or larger[5][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedZYLtech specifies a hardened nozzle 0.6 mm or larger; Spectrum bases its settings on a 0.5 mm nozzle[5][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Hardened steel required — Spectrum recommends ruby or hardened, ZYLtech requires hardened[4][5]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[12]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[4][5]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[13][18]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Slightly sensitive[15]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[13]No special hotend required[15]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Moderate — the ASA matrix takes up 0.40–0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[20][21][22]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & time70 °C for 6 h (ABS Max)[2]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[23]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[23]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and absorbed water shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[23]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[23]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]33–36 at break, ISO 527 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated); Spectrum quotes 55 at break on injection-moulded specimens[5][4]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]2540–2890 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated) and 2550 (Spectrum, injection-moulded), ISO 527[5][4]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]3.4 at break (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated); Spectrum quotes 2.80 at yield on injection-moulded specimens[5][4]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]2130–2480 flexural modulus, ISO 178 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated)[5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]8.3 notched Charpy at 23 °C on injection-moulded specimens (Spectrum, ISO 179-1eA); ZYLtech publishes notched Izod 6.9 by ISO 180 instead[4][5]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 25 kJ/m² at 23 °C on injection-moulded specimens (Spectrum, ISO 179-1eU); ZYLtech notched Izod 6.9 kJ/m² (ISO 180)[4][5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 3.4 %[5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no creep test found; Tg of 115 °C (ABS Pro) and 126 °C (ABS Max) keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][2]Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 2540–2890 against 2379–2450 for unfilled ASA[5][21][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no S-N curve found; 6.7–7.3 % elongation and 10.5–14.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy, below unfilled Bambu Lab ABS[1][2][24]Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 3.4 % against 6.7–9.2 % for unfilled ASA[5][21][20]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[5]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]100 (Spectrum, injection-moulded, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]97–99 unannealed (ZYLtech, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; specimen type not stated); Spectrum 90 on injection-moulded specimens[5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]Amorphous ASA matrix; Vicat 98 (Spectrum, ISO 306). ZYLtech quotes a 210–220 °C melting range by ISO 11357 for its grade[4][5]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[25]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[26]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published[20]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[17]Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Spectrum states the parts resist prolonged UV and moisture exposure[4][27]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[21]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[17]Not food safe[14]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[17]Not biodegradable[14]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[17]Not accepted in household plastic collection[14]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[28][12]High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[28][12]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[28]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[28]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[28][12]Styrene. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea. Azimi et al. measured styrene from every styrenic filament tested but did not test ASA itself[12][28]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[28][12]Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[28][12]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[4]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[17]Sands well and takes filler before painting[14]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[17]Paints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[14]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedSolvent-welds with acetone[21]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]Acetone vapour smoothing works[21]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[29][12]HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[12]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[30][3]Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[30][21]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[30][31]Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[31]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[32]Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[32][21]

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. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  2. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  3. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Spectrum ASA-X GF10 Technical Data Sheet (mechanical and thermal data marked injection-moulded) Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  5. ZYLtech ASA-GF Filament Technical Data Sheet v1 ZYLtech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ASA-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  21. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  27. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  28. 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
  29. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  31. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc