3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA Aero vs Magnetic

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

Foaming ASA (ASA Aero) guideMagnetic filament guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA Aero comparisonsMore Magnetic comparisons
ASA Aero vs Magnetic — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming ASA (ASA Aero)ASAMagnetic filamentSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$64.99/kg median; $64.99–$64.99/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA with a heat-activated blowing agent that expands at the nozzle[1][2]PLA loaded with ferromagnetic iron powder, so printed parts respond to magnets[3]
Densityg/cm³0.99 filament (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183); Formfutura's grade reaches 0.33 g/cm³ fully expanded[1][2]About 1.85 (Proto-pasta manufacturer figure) — 1.5× standard PLA[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[4]1 kg spools cluster near 65[5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Bambu Lab's 1 kg listing[4]64–70 across formats; 1 kg spool 65, 500 g 70, 2 kg 70[5]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[5]
Typical applicationsDrone airframes, RC parts and floating or outdoor applications where mass matters and UV exposure rules out LW-PLA[2]Sensor targets, magnetic fixtures, and props that need to stick to a magnet or rust deliberately[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–280 (Bambu Lab); 220–285 (Formfutura), with foaming activating near 230 °C and peaking between 270 and 285 °C[1][2]192 (Proto-pasta)[3]
Bed temperature°C80–90 (Bambu Lab); 50–90 (Formfutura)[1][2]60 (Proto-pasta)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][6]Open frame is fine[3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Part cooling fan0–80 % (Bambu Lab); 0–50 % (Formfutura)[1][2]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[7][8]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12 at Bambu Lab's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][9]1.6–2.4 at Proto-pasta's 20–30 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[7]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[7]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; flow has to be cut to match the expansion and the density follows nozzle temperature[2][1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; slow, and brittle in filament form[3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedProto-pasta advises an extrusion width 0.05 mm larger than the nozzle and warns feeding is inconsistent below 0.4 mm and on Bowden machines[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[6]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[6]Moderately abrasive — metal fill[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedModerate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists metal-filled composites as a higher clogging risk and recommends a 0.6 mm nozzle minimum[10]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[8]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[8]Proto-pasta recommends a wear-resistant or larger nozzle for longer service intervals[3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 0.80 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, nearly double unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][11]Not documented
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.80 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[12]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and absorbed water shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[12]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[12]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[12]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2010 ± 260 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%5.1 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa58 ± 6 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1510 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.2 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32.0 ± 2.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 24 against 58 in XY[1]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Brittle — Proto-pasta describes the filament as more brittle than standard PLA and needing extra care in handling[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below average — no creep test found; the foamed structure drops modulus to 2010 MPa and load is carried by a lower solid fraction[1][11]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no foamed-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed ASA holds a fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength[1][13]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%66 by tensile, 41 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]Not documented
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C85 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][11]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C78 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][11]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[14]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[11]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Formfutura states the foaming grade retains ApolloX's UV resistance[2][15]Not documented
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedDeliberately rustable — Proto-pasta markets the iron content as oxidising when exposed to moisture[3]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[16]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe[7]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[7]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[7]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedFerromagnetic: Proto-pasta states it responds to magnets and behaves similarly to pure iron[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[17][6]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[17]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene. Bambu Lab states ABS and ASA release harmful gases such as styrene at printing temperature, which can be toxic and cause dizziness or nausea. Azimi et al. measured styrene from every styrenic filament tested but did not test ASA itself[6][17]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[17][6]Open a window / occasional ventilation[17]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[7]Polishing and deliberate rusting are the intended finishes[3]
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[7]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[16]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[16]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[6]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte, textured surface that hides layer lines; colour lightens as the foaming degree rises, which doubles as a visual density cue[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[18][16]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix and leaves the iron powder behind; laboratory reagent, not workshop stock.[19][3]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[20]Acetone and ethyl acetate plasticise the matrix rather than dissolving it; water attacks the exposed iron.[19][3]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid; the foamed wall absorbs solvent, so cut the exposure well short.[21]None — PLA has no workshop-safe solvent, and the iron loading blocks the surface flow smoothing needs.[19]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ASA Aero Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  2. ApolloX Foaming Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2025-07 · tds
  3. Magnetic Iron PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
  4. ASA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  7. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  8. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  9. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  10. Composite materials with metal or wood particles Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  12. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Mechanical, Fatigue, and Thermal Characterization of ASA, Nylon 12, PC and PC-ABS Manufactured by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Polymers 18(2):302 · 2026-01 · paper
  14. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  15. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  16. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. 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
  18. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  20. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc