3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ABS vs PLA Silk

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

ABS guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ABS comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
ABS vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyABSABSSilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $11.99–$45.00/kg across 16 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene — a styrenic terpolymer with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (Polymaker PolyLite ABS and ABS Pro) to 1.06 (ABS Max), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.05[4][1][5][6]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9][10][11]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[12][13][14]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg12–45 across brands; IEMAI 12, SUNLU 12 at a 3 kg minimum, ELEGOO 15 in a 5 kg pack, Polymaker 19, YXPOLYER 20, Bambu Lab 20, Push Plastic 25, 3DXTech 45[7][8][15][16][9][10][11][17]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[18][19][20][21][22]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[7][8][15][16]Stocked by most mainstream brands[12][18][23]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1, 5 and 10 kg spools[15][16]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[24][25]
Typical applicationsEnclosures, automotive interior parts and tooling that must hold shape above PLA's 55 °C ceiling[1][26]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[27]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–270 (Bambu Lab); 245–265 (Polymaker PolyLite)[4][1]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Bambu Lab); 90–100 (Polymaker)[4][1]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Polymaker calls a chamber needed at ambient temperature, Bambu Lab requires an enclosed printer and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[1][28]Open frame is fine[3][29]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab); off (Polymaker PolyLite)[4][1]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidClean the plate and apply glue — Bambu Lab lists glue as the way to improve adhesion and prevent warping[28]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[30]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Bambu Lab attributes surface cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[28]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[28]Sticks to anything[31]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[1]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[28][1]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[28]Brass fine indefinitely[29]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[28]Non-abrasive[32][29]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[33][29]Very low[29]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[33]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[34]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[33]No special hot-end required[31]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.65 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Polymaker measures 0.51 % maximum uptake for ABS Pro[4][5]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.65 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 maximum (Polymaker ABS Pro)[4][5]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 6 h (Polymaker)[4][1]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][35]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[36]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[36]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and surface defects rather than a stated strength delta[36]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[36]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and advises periodic drying in humid climates[36]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[37][31]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 35 (Polymaker ABS Pro and Max) printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 42 at break[4][5][6][38]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][39]
Young's modulusMPa2200 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) to 2330 (Polymaker ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 1950[4][5][38]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%6.7 (ABS Max) to 10.5 (Bambu Lab) at break, printed XY, ISO 527[4][5][6]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][37]
Flexural strengthMPa60 (ABS Pro) to 63 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178; Bambu Lab 62 ± 4; 3DXTech quotes 76[4][5][6][38]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1880 ± 110 (Bambu Lab) to 2500 (ABS Max) printed XY, ISO 178[4][6]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.5 (ABS Max) and 14.5 (ABS Pro) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; PolyLite ABS 18.0 ± 0.9 and Bambu Lab 21.5 ± 2.2[1][5][6][4]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 39.3 ± 3.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179); notched 21.5 ± 2.2[4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21.9 (ABS Pro) to 29.7 (PolyLite) printed Z, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 28 ± 2[4][1][5]25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][39][40]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4][1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-ABS creep test found; Tg of 101–126 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[1][5][6]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[41][42]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no printed-ABS S-N curve found; 10.5 % elongation and 21.5 kJ/m² notched Charpy give far more cyclic tolerance than PLA[4][43]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[43][34]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%85 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 63 for Polymaker ABS Pro[4][5]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C87 (Bambu Lab) to 118 (Polymaker ABS Max), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; PolyLite ABS 100[4][1][6]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C84 (Bambu Lab) to 113 (Polymaker ABS Max), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite ABS 98[4][1][6]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C101 (PolyLite) to 126 (ABS Max), DSC; 105 quoted by 3DXTech[1][6][38]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 104 (PolyLite) to 127 (ABS Max), ISO 306[1][6]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C101 measured on a loaded glass-filled ABS bar (My Tech Fun); unfilled ABS is bounded by its 84–98 °C heat deflection[44][4][1]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[40]
Annealing responseDecomposition above 380 °C (PolyLite ABS, TGA)[1]50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K86 ± 3 at 0° and 89 ± 3 at 90° raster (printed, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); 82 for a neat large-format bead at 30 °C[45][46]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ABS, though V-0 grades exist[47][4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[37][48]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement[26]Degrades within weeks outdoors[34][49]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; poor against strong acids; dissolved by acetone[1]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[48][34]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[4]Good — insoluble in water[37]
Food contactNot food safe — Polymaker cites potential chemical leaching[26]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[34]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[26]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[50][34]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable as resin code 9, but not accepted in household plastic collection[26]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[50]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (3DXTech, ASTM D257)[38]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[51][28]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[51]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the dominant VOC from every ABS and HIPS combination tested[51]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[51]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[51][28]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration — an enclosure alone cut measured UFP by only about 35 %[51][28]None needed in a normal room[51]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler; the usual preparation before painting[26]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[49][34]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[1]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[34][52]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ABS dissolves in acetone[1]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[34]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS[53][28]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits, not shrinkage of the melt[28]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it — the basis of ABS slurry; so do MEK, THF, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dichloromethane and toluene.[54][1]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[55]
Softened or crazed byPetrol and perchloroethylene soften it and benzene attacks it; d-limonene disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades.[54][56]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[55][57]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone: about 20 min of vapour at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid. Prusa measured layer adhesion more than doubled.[57]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[58][57]

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. PolyLite ABS Technical Data Sheet (V5.5 served at this URL) Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Safety Data Sheet SDS20250724B00 — Bambu ABS Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
  3. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ABS Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker ABS Pro Technical Data Sheet V1 (2026-05-29) Polymaker · 2026-05 · tds
  6. Polymaker ABS Max Technical Data Sheet V1.1 (2026-06-01) Polymaker · 2026-06 · tds
  7. ABS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. SUNLU ABS 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI ABS 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. YXPOLYER ABS Squirrel Grey product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  28. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  33. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  34. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  37. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  38. 3DXMAX ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  39. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  40. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  44. ABS-GF vs PET-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  45. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  46. 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
  47. Firewire Flame Retardant ABS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  48. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  49. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  50. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  51. 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
  52. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  53. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  54. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  55. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  56. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  57. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  58. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper