3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs rPETG

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guideRecycled PETG (rPETG) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore rPETG comparisons
ABS+ vs rPETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSRecycled PETG (rPETG)PETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listings$28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 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]PETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[4][5][6]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[4][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[7]1 kg spools cluster near 29[8][9][7][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[7][11][12]17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[8][9][7][10]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7]Available from several mainstream brands[8][9][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[7][9]
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Not documented
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[4][13]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C270–290 (ABS Pro); 270–300 (ABS Max) — 25–35 °C above plain ABS[1][2]250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[4][5]
Bed temperature°C120 (ABS Max)[2]80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[4][5]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure required (passive)[1][2][14]Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[5]
Part cooling fanNot documented50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[4][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[14][15]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[13][16]
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][17]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[14]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[14]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[13][16]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[18]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[16]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[14]Brass fine indefinitely[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[14]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[15][19]Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[20][19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Slightly sensitive[20]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[15]No special hot-end required[20]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[13]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.51 maximum water absorption (Polymaker ABS Pro)[1]0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[4]
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[21]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[21]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[21]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[21]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[21]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[21][16]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[4][13][5]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[4][13]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[4][5]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[4][13]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[1][2]12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) and 25.4 (ABS Max) printed Z, ISO 527[1][2]15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[4][13]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2]Moderate[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[4][13]
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 recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23][24][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]Moderate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[4]
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]68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[4][13][5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[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]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[28]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[29]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[18]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[16]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[18]Not certified for food contact as filament[16]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Not biodegradable[16]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[18]The feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[5]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[30][14]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[30]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[30]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[30]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[30][14]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[30][14]Open a window / occasional ventilation[30]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[18]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[20]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[20]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[3]No practical vapour smoothing[20]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[31][14]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[20]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[32][3]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[33][34]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[32][35]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[33]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[34]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[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. Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  14. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  29. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  30. 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
  31. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  33. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  35. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc