3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS+ vs POM

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

ABS+ / Tough ABS guidePOM (acetal) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS+ comparisonsMore POM comparisons
ABS+ vs POM — documented properties and sources
PropertyABS+ / Tough ABSABSPOM (acetal)ENGINEERING
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$26.49/kg median; $15.99–$29.99/kg across 4 dated product listingsNot documented
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]Polyoxymethylene, normally the copolymer POM-C. Apium's filament grade is POM-C with antistatic additives; no unfilled POM filament was found on sale[4][5]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ABS Pro) and 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183[1][2]1.41 (extruded POM-C stock)[4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 27[6]Not documented
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][7][8]Not documented
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6]Special order, 1-2 makers worldwide — Apium sells a POM-C ESD filament through its own shop and states its printers are the only ones able to process POM-C; no POM filament appears in the 3DJAKE or igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid[5][9][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[6]Not documented
Typical applicationsLarge enclosure and automotive parts where plain ABS warps or softens too early[1][2]Gears, bushings, bearings, conveyor and food-machinery parts; Apium markets its POM-C ESD grade for semiconductor insulators, aerospace fasteners and sliding parts[4][5]
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][12]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue; Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ABS slurry[12][13]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][14]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts[12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[15]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the hotter nozzle rules out PTFE-lined hotends[1][2]Not documented
Extruder requirementNot documentedApium states that the adaptive heating system on its industrial machines is what makes POM-C printable, and that no other 3D printer can process it[5]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[12]Not documented
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[12]Not documented
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — unfilled ABS compound; no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks[13][16]Not documented
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[13]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[13]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.51 % maximum water absorption (ABS Pro)[1]Low (0.1-0.3 %) — extruded POM-C stock takes up 0.18 % in 24 h and 0.80 % at saturation (ASTM D570)[4]
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[17]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures[17]Not documented
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity[17]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa34.9 (ABS Pro) and 35.7 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]66.9 at break and 64.1 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 9700 and 9300 psi)[4]
Young's modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2320 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]2275 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638; converted from 330,000 psi)[4]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) and 7.3 (ABS Pro) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[1][2]40 at break and 9 at yield (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D638)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa60.1 (ABS Pro) and 63.3 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]89.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 13,000 psi)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2330 (ABS Pro) and 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[1][2]2758 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D790; converted from 400,000 psi)[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 53 J/m on extruded POM-C stock, converted from 1.0 ft-lb/in[4]
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]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; extruded stock elongates 40 % before failing. No printed figure is published[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 86 (and R120) — the source names only the R scale on extruded POM-C stock (ASTM D785)[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]Not documented
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][18]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%63 (ABS Pro) and 71 (ABS Max), printed[1][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedWear factor 65e-10 in3*min/(ft*lb*h) and a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.21 at 40 psi and 50 fpm (ASTM D3702, extruded stock) — the properties that make acetal the default gear and bushing plastic; Apium lists good sliding properties as the reason for its grade[4][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 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 316 °F)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C101.4 (ABS Pro) and 113.1 (ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]110 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D648 at 264 psi; converted from 230 °F)[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]165 melting (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 329 °F)[4]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented91 long term and 141 intermittent (extruded POM-C stock; converted from 195 °F and 285 °F)[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86–89 for printed unfilled ABS (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[19]84.6 (extruded POM-C stock, ASTM D696; source states 4.7e-5 in/in/°F)[4]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedUL 94 HB on extruded POM-C stock[4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[15]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[3]Good chemical resistance, particularly to bases; Apium lists resistance to bases as a headline property[4][5]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption; 0.80 % water at saturation (ASTM D570, extruded stock)[4]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[15]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[15]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[15]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedVolume resistance 1e14 ohm-cm, dielectric strength 500 V/mil and dielectric constant 3.7 at 60 Hz on extruded stock (ASTM D257, D149, D150); Apium's filament grade adds antistatic agents[4][5]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[20][12]Not documented
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[20]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[20]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[20][12]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[20][12]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[15]Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of POM-C stock[4]
Painting & finishingPaints readily after light abrasion[15]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[21][12]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[22][3]Hexafluoroisopropanol dissolves it at room temperature; NMP and DMF only when hot. Laboratory reagents.[23]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[22][24]Acids, oxidants, halogens and hot concentrated zinc chloride attack it; alcohols, ketones and esters do not.[23][22]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[25]None — no solvent softens POM below its melting point, which is why it is bolted or heat-welded rather than glued.[23]

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. TECAFORM AH natural (POM-C) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. POM-C ESD 3D printing — material page Apium 3D Technologies · 2026-08 · doc
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 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. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 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. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  20. 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
  21. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. Resistance of Ultramid, Ultraform and Ultradur to chemicals (TI-KTU/AS-28 e) BASF · 2000-10 · tds
  24. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc