3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs PC-ABS

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guidePC/ABS blend guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore PC-ABS comparisons
ABS+ vs PC-ABS — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSPC/ABS blendPC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/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 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]Polycarbonate/ABS alloy — PC stiffness and heat resistance with ABS processability[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.10 (Polymaker) and 1.24 (3DXTech FR grade), ISO 1183; Stratasys specific gravity 1.10 (ASTM D792)[4][5][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[7]1 kg spools cluster near 50[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[7][9][10]35–84 across brands; Reli3D 35, SUNLU 46, Polymaker 50, 3DXMAX 84[7][8][11][12]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7]Available from several mainstream brands[7][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[7][8]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Automotive interior and electronics housings that need PC heat resistance without PC's warping[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]250–270 (Polymaker)[4]
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]90–105 (Polymaker)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][13]Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 90–100 °C chamber[4]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented90–100 (Polymaker)[4]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOff (Polymaker)[4]
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/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]20 at Polymaker's 250 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4][16]
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[13]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[4][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; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[4][13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Brass fine indefinitely[13]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Non-abrasive[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[14][19]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[20]
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 — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]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[21][22][20]
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]75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[4]
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 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][23]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[23]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]39.9 ± 1.0 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 60 at break for its FR PC/ABS[4][5]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]1835 ± 65 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2250[4][5]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]4.2 ± 0.3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 10 at break[4][5]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]66.3 ± 0.9 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 85[4][5]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]2081 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (Polymaker); 3DXTech quotes 2300[4][5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]25.8 ± 1.3 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Polymaker) — above both unfilled PC and ABS[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedNotched 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).[4][6]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][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)[4][6]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4]
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[24]
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. 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)[25]
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][26]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]75-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638) against 57 (Polymaker, printed Z against XY tensile)[4][6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]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[4][6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]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[4][6]
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]109 (Polymaker) and 137 (3DXTech FR grade), DSC; Stratasys measures 105.3 (ASTM D7426 inflection point)[4][5][6]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 135 (Polymaker, ISO 306)[4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend[22]
Annealing responseNot documented90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[27]59.9 over -50 to 35 °C and 73.0 over -50 to 95 °C (printed XY, ASTM E831)[6]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[18]Degrades within weeks outdoors[17]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]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[28][13]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[28]
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]≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[28]
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][13]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[28][13]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[28][13]
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 smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]Acetone attacks the ABS phase, so surface smoothing is partial rather than full[4]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[29][13]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[30][3]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the PC phase; acetone, MEK and THF dissolve the ABS phase.[31][30]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[30][32]Petrol, esters, ether and 1 % alkali stress-crack the PC phase; aromatics and esters soften the ABS phase.[31][30]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[33]Acetone attacks only the ABS phase, so smoothing is partial; a dichloromethane cement welds the whole section.[4][34]

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. Polymaker PC-ABS Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Firewire Flame Retardant PC/ABS Technical Data Sheet Rev 3.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PC-ABS — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2023-08 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 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. 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. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. 3DXTech 3DXMAX ABS product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  23. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  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. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  32. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds