3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA Aero vs PC-GF

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

Foaming ASA (ASA Aero) guideGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA Aero comparisonsMore PC-GF comparisons
ASA Aero vs PC-GF — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming ASA (ASA Aero)ASAGlass-fibre PC (PC-GF)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$71.27/kg median; $71.27–$71.27/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA with a heat-activated blowing agent that expands at the nozzle[1][2]Polycarbonate reinforced with 30 wt% short glass fibre[3]
Densityg/cm³0.99 filament (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183); Formfutura's grade reaches 0.33 g/cm³ fully expanded[1][2]1.17 (measured on a 100 % infill printed part, ISO 1183-A)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[4]1 kg spools cluster near 71[5]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Bambu Lab's 1 kg listing[4]71 — BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 at igo3d is the only priced listing found; Owens Corning sells XSTRAND GF30-PC in 500 g and 1 kg[5][3]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — neither Polymaker's nor 3DXTech's polycarbonate range contains a glass-fibre grade, but BASF Forward AM and Owens Corning both sell one through European retail[5][3][6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[4]1.75 and 2.85 mm at +/- 0.05 mm; 500 g and 1 kg net spools[3]
Typical applicationsDrone airframes, RC parts and floating or outdoor applications where mass matters and UV exposure rules out LW-PLA[2]Functional prototyping for mechanical engineering, electronics and automotive[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.05 (Owens Corning XSTRAND)[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]280-330 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[3]
Bed temperature°C80–90 (Bambu Lab); 50–90 (Formfutura)[1][2]80-110 (Owens Corning XSTRAND GF30-PC)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][8]Enclosure required (passive) — as for unfilled PC[9][8]
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[10][11]Perforated plate, DimaFix or Magigoo PC glue (Owens Corning)[3]
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][12]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[10]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[10]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]Not documented
Extruder requirementNot documentedOwens Corning specifies a nozzle above 0.4 mm and hardened steel nozzles and drive wheels[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[8]Hardened steel required — Owens Corning states glass reinforcement shortens brass nozzle and drive-wheel life[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[8]Highly abrasive — 30 wt% glass fibre[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedHigh — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; PC already absorbs water from the air and Prusa lists glass-filled composites as a higher clogging risk[13][14]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[11]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[11]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 0.80 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, nearly double unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][15]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Owens Corning measures below 0.1 % at 23 °C and 50 % RH (ISO 62)[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.80 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]Below 0.1 at 23 °C and 50 % RH, and below 0.1 at saturation (ISO 62)[3]
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[16]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[16]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[17][16]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[16]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]65 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
Young's modulusMPa2010 ± 260 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]5400 (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
Elongation at break%5.1 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]2.5 at break (printed, ISO 527 at 1 mm/min)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa58 ± 6 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]113 at yield (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1510 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]5500 (printed, ISO 178 at 2 mm/min)[3]
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 — snaps with little warning; 2.5 % elongation at break[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales and Shore D 79 on extruded unfilled PC stock (ASTM D785, D2240); no figure is published for a glass-fibre grade[18]
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][15]Excellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded unfilled PC ran unbroken at 41 MPa until the test was stopped, and 30 wt% glass raises the tensile modulus from about 2.3 to 5.4 GPa[19][3]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no foamed-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed ASA holds a fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength[1][20]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][15]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C78 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][15]137 (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented145 (DSC, ISO 11357)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented270 stated as melting point (ISO 11357) — unusual for an amorphous polymer, but this is the published figure[3]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[21]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented26.2 in XY and 77.4 in Z (printed, ISO 11359-2) — a threefold anisotropy, and the lowest in-plane expansion of any polycarbonate here[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[15]UL 94 V-0 verified (Owens Corning)[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Formfutura states the foaming grade retains ApolloX's UV resistance[2][22]Good — years with some colour shift. Owens Corning lists UV resistance as a product benefit but publishes no exposure data[3]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[23]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; below 0.1 % water at saturation (ISO 62)[3]
Food contactNot food safe[10]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[10]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[10]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedElectrically insulating (Owens Corning)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24][8]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[24]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[24]
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[8][24]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[24][8]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[24][8]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedOwens Corning warns that the glass reinforcement is abrasive when melted and advises sufficient ventilation and avoiding extrusion fumes[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[10]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[10]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[23]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[23]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[8]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]High dimensional stability is the headline benefit; the 26.2 um/m*K in-plane CTE is a third of unfilled PC's[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[25][23]Dichloromethane and chloroform dissolve the matrix and leave the fibre; DMF and dioxane do the same (Covestro).[26]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[27]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[26]
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.[28]Dichloromethane cement welds the resin, but the fibre keeps the joint from flowing closed. Controlled carcinogen.[29]

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. XSTRAND GF30-PC Data Sheet Owens Corning · 2019-04 · tds
  4. ASA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. BASF Ultrafuse PC GF30 Black 2.85 mm 1.000 g igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  10. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  11. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  13. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  16. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  20. 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
  21. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  23. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  24. 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
  25. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  27. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds