3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
ASA Aero vs PEBA
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Foaming ASA (ASA Aero)ASA | PEBA (polyether block amide)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings | $60.99/kg median; $60.99–$60.99/kg across 1 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ASA with a heat-activated blowing agent that expands at the nozzle[1][2] | Polyether block amide: rigid polyamide and flexible polyether blocks.[3] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 0.99 filament (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183); Formfutura's grade reaches 0.33 g/cm³ fully expanded[1][2] | 1.01 g/cm³ (GB/T 1033; eSUN manufacturer data)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 50[4] | Not documented |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 50 at Bambu Lab's 1 kg listing[4] | Not documented |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][2] | Not documented |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[4] | 1.75 mm diameter, 1 kg spool.[5] |
| Typical applications | Drone airframes, RC parts and floating or outdoor applications where mass matters and UV exposure rules out LW-PLA[2] | Manufacturer applications include footwear, sports equipment and cushioning.[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240–280 (Bambu Lab); 220–285 (Formfutura), with foaming activating near 230 °C and peaking between 270 and 285 °C[1][2] | 230–260 °C; 240 °C recommended.[3] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–90 (Bambu Lab); 50–90 (Formfutura)[1][2] | 60–90 °C[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][6] | Not documented |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | 0–80 % (Bambu Lab); 0–50 % (Formfutura)[1][2] | 10–50% fan recommended; mechanical-test specimens used 50–100%.[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[7][8] | PEI build plate[3] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 12 at Bambu Lab's 150 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[1][9] | 9 mm³/s maximum in eSUN spiral-vase test; mechanical specimens used 2 mm³/s. Linear recommendation 25–110 mm/s is a separate quantity.[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[7] | Not documented |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[7] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; flow has to be cut to match the expansion and the density follows nozzle temperature[2][1] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[6] | Not documented |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[6] | Not documented |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[8] | Not documented |
| Hotend requirement | No special hotend required[8] | Not documented |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | High — 0.80 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, nearly double unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][10] | Not documented |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.80 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1] | 70–75 °C for 6–8 h; re-dry after receiving or extended exposure.[3] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[11] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and absorbed water shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[11] | Not documented |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[11] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 32 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1] | >16.5 MPa printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound, not an exact measurement.[3] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2010 ± 260 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 5.1 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1] | >520% printed XY, GB/T 1040; manufacturer lower bound.[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 58 ± 6 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 1510 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 8.2 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 32.0 ± 2.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1] | Not documented |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 21 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 24 against 58 in XY[1] | 7.5 MPa printed Z, GB/T 1040 (manufacturer test)[3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Moderate[1] | Not documented |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | 90 Shore A nominal grade designation; do not compare numerically with Shore D or Rockwell.[5] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Below average — no creep test found; the foamed structure drops modulus to 2010 MPa and load is carried by a lower solid fraction[1][10] | Not documented |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Moderate — no foamed-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed ASA holds a fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength[1][12] | Not documented |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[1] | Not documented |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 66 by tensile, 41 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 85 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][10] | Not documented |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 78 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][10] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Not documented | 110 °C Vicat softening (GB/T 1633, 120 °C/h, 10 N); not HDT or a continuous-use rating.[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[13] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[10] | Not documented |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Formfutura states the foaming grade retains ApolloX's UV resistance[2][14] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[15] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not food safe[7] | Not documented |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[7] | Not documented |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[7] | Not documented |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[16][6] | Not documented |
| Hazardous species emitted | Styrene. 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][16] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[16][6] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[7] | Not documented |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[7] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Solvent-welds with acetone[15] | Not documented |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone vapour smoothing works[15] | Not documented |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[6] | Not documented |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Matte, 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 in | Acetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[17][15] | Not documented |
| Softened or crazed by | Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[18] | Not documented |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid; the foamed wall absorbs solvent, so cut the exposure well short.[19] | Not documented |
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
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — ASA Aero Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- ApolloX Foaming Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2025-07 · tds
- eSUN PEBA-90A Technical Data Sheet v1.0 (Aug 2025), checked 2026-10-17 eSUN · 2025-08 · tds
- ASA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- eSUN PEBA-90A official product page: 1 kg price and product identity eSUN · 2026-10-17 · vendor
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- 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
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc