3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs PEI 9085

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guidePEI (ULTEM 9085) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore PEI 9085 comparisons
ABS+ vs PEI 9085 — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSPEI (ULTEM 9085)HIGHTEMP
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$309.80/kg median; $220.00–$392.00/kg across 6 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]Polyetherimide, ULTEM 9085 grade — the flame-retardant PEI used for aircraft interiors[4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.34 (ISO 1183, 3DXTech) against 1.27 specific gravity on moulded plaques (ASTM D792, Stratasys) — the two suppliers disagree[4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 298[7][8][9][10]
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][11][12]220-392 across brands and formats; 3DXTech ThermaX PEI 9085 220 at 2 kg, 3D4Makers 270 at 2 kg, Fiberlogy 298 at 500 g, Kimya 321 at 500 g, IEMAI 3D 385 at 1 kg, 3DXTech CarbonX PEI 9085+CF 392[7][8][9][10][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[7][8][9][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 250 g to 2 kg spools, plus Stratasys canisters[7][10][5]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Aircraft interior parts and rail rolling stock, where the flame, smoke and toxicity rating is the requirement[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]130–140 (3DXTech)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][14]Actively heated chamber required[15][16]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[14][17]Not documented
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][18]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[14]Severe — heated chamber needed[15]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[19]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Expert / industrial hardware only[15][16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[14]Brass fine indefinitely for unfilled grades, but brass softens near these nozzle temperatures — hardened or plated hot ends are the norm[15]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[14]Non-abrasive when unfilled[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[17][20]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech lists no special nozzle concerns but a mandatory 120 °C pre-dry before every print[21]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[17]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Not documented
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[22]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[22]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; 3DXTech mandates a 120 °C, 4 h pre-dry before every print because trapped water flashes to steam at these nozzle temperatures[21]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[22]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]63-77 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc, three tips and two colours); 54 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[5][4]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]2040-2540 (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 2050 (printed XY, ISO 527, 3DXTech)[5][4]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]5.4-9.1 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D638, Stratasys); 1.9-4.3 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 3 (ISO 527)[5][4]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]104-116 at break (printed XZ, ASTM D790 Procedure A, Stratasys); 72-98 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 90 (ISO 178)[5][4]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]2400-2550 (printed XZ, ASTM D790, Stratasys F900 T16 and T16A) against 2120-2130 in ZX; 3DXTech quotes 2170 (ISO 178)[5][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]Not documented
Other impact dataNot documentedIzod notched 88.5-140 J/m XZ against 37-80 J/m ZX; unnotched 647-2260 J/m XZ against 169-633 J/m ZX (printed, ASTM D256/D4812, Stratasys, across three printers and three tips)[5]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]39-63 at break (printed ZX, ASTM D638, Stratasys); the low end is the F900 T16 baseline, the high end the F3300 N500 hot end[5]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell M110 / R126 on extruded PEI stock (ASTM D785)[23]
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]Excellent — holds load for years. Printed ZX coupons keep 87 % of room-temperature tensile strength at 104 °C and 70 % at 132 °C (ASTM D638); extruded PEI stock is rated 170 °C long-term service[5][23]
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]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]56-86 (Stratasys ZX against XZ tensile at break, ASTM D638, across F900/F3300/Fortus 450mc and T16/T20/T40A tips); 58 on the F900 T16 baseline[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]158 (printed XY, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa, 3DXTech) to 178 (printed XY 178.2 and ZX 178.4, ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi, Stratasys); moulded 176.9[4][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]170-173 (printed XY 170.2 and ZX 172.6, ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi); moulded 172.9[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]177 (moulded plaque, ASTM D7426 inflection point, Stratasys); 186 (DSC, 3DXTech)[5][4][25]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented170 long-term service on extruded PEI stock, converted from 338 °F; 200 short term[23]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[26]44.9 (printed XY, -50 to 80 °C, ASTM E831), falling to 31.4 over 80-160 °C; ZX gives 44.5 over -50 to 60 °C. Black pigment raises it to 51.9[5]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm on the base resin. Printed parts are tested to 14 CFR 25.853, BSS 7238 and 7239 and AITM 2.0007B and 3.0005 covering 60 s and 12 s vertical burn, 15 s horizontal burn, smoke density, toxic gas emission and OSU heat release[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[19]Good — years with some colour shift. 1000 h of QUV cycling to ASTM G154 left printed ZX coupons at 55.5 MPa yield against 56.0 unexposed, with elongation and modulus unchanged[5]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[19]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[19]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[19]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[27][14]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised. None of these polymers was in the chamber study, and all are processed far above the temperatures it covered[27]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[27]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[27]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[27][14]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[27][14]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[27]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[19]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[19]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[28][14]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[29][3]Chlorinated hydrocarbons — dichloromethane and chloroform — are solvents for polyetherimide. Laboratory reagents.[30][29]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[29][31]Acetone, MEK, benzene, toluene and butyl acetate craze or stress-crack it; alcohols, fuels and dilute acids do not.[29][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.[32]Dichloromethane is the only welding route, and it is a controlled carcinogen rather than a workshop material.[30][29]

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. ThermaX PEI 9085 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  5. ULTEM 9085 Resin — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Kimya PEI-9085 Natural 2.85 mm 500 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Fiberlogy PEI 9085 Natural, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3D4Makers product catalogue 3D4Makers · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D PEI 9085 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Prusament PEI 1010 Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-09 · tds
  16. Prusament PEI 1010 — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. THERMAX PEI 9085 — product page (print recommendations) 3DXTech · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. TECAPEI natural (PEI) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. ThermaX PEI 1010 Technical Data Sheet v4 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  27. 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
  28. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Radel PPSU, Veradel PESU, Acudel modified PPSU Design Guide — environmental stress cracking tables Solvay Specialty Polymers · 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