3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs PETG-GF

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guideGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore PETG-GF comparisons
ABS+ vs PETG-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSGlass-fibre polyester (PETG-GF / PET-GF)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$27.38/kg median; $18.99–$29.99/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]Glass-fibre reinforced polyester. Polymaker's Fiberon PET-GF15 uses a PET rather than a PETG matrix and carries 15 wt% glass fibre[4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.43 (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 1183)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[5]1 kg spools cluster near 25[6][5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg16–30 across brands; SUNLU E-ABS 16, Polymaker ABS Pro 25, YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced 28, Polymaker ABS Max 30[5][7][8]19–30 across brands; ELEGOO 19, Polymaker Fiberon 30[6][5]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[5]1.75 mm; 0.5 and 1 kg spools[5]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Stiff, dimensionally stable fixtures; the Fiberon grade is designed to be annealed for heat resistance[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]Not documented
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][9]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[9][10]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[11][12]
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][13]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[9]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[11][12]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[14]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[12]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[9]Hardened steel required[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[9]Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[10][15]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[16]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[10]Slightly sensitive[17]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[10]No special hot-end required[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — the PETG matrix reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[11]
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[18]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[18]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[18]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[18]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[18]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[18][12]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]59.9 ± 0.8 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]4144 ± 133 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]4.0 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]104.2 ± 2.4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]3705 ± 85 printed XY, ISO 178 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]8.7 ± 0.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 27.2 ± 2.0 printed XY (Fiberon PET-GF15, ISO 179)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]48.2 ± 0.3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation 4.0 % in XY and 2.6 % in Z[4]
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]Below average — no GF-grade creep test; the CF grades sagged to 14.8–16.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg against 17.1–20.4 mm unfilled[19][20][21]
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][22]Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 4.0 % in XY against 5.2–9.3 % unfilled[4][23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]80 (Fiberon PET-GF15, printed Z against XY tensile)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C106.4 (ABS Pro) and 118.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]81.6 as printed, 133.7 after annealing (ISO 75, 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]71.8 as printed, 87.3 after annealing (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C114.9 (ABS Pro) and 126.3 (ABS Max), DSC[1][2]59.5 (DSC)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 116.1 (ABS Pro) and 127.4 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][2]231.6 melting (DSC); Vicat 232.6 (ISO 306)[4]
Annealing responseNot documentedAnnealing lifts HDT at 0.45 MPa from 81.6 to 133.7 °C[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[24]20 along the print bead and 63–74 in the build direction at 30 °C (30 wt% GF, large-format printed, TMA)[25]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 HB at 1.5 mm (Fiberon PET-GF15)[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[14]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[12]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[14]Not certified for food contact as filament[12]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[14]Not biodegradable[12]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[14]Not accepted in household plastic collection[12]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistivity above 10¹² ohm — insulating (Fiberon PET-GF15, ANSI/ESD S11.11)[4]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[26][9]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[26]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[26]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[26]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[26][9]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[26][9]Open a window / occasional ventilation[26]
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[14]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[17]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[14]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]No practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[27][9]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[28][3]No common workshop solvent; dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the matrix surface, 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it in a week.[29][30]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[28][31]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[29]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[30]Dichloromethane reaches only the resin, so the fibre is left standing proud of the surface. Controlled carcinogen.[30]

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. Fiberon PET-GF15 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. SUNLU E-ABS (Easy ABS) 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. YXPOLYER ABS Enhanced product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  12. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  20. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  24. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  25. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  26. 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
  27. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  30. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  31. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc