3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA Aero vs PLA HS

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

Foaming ASA (ASA Aero) guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA Aero comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
ASA Aero vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming ASA (ASA Aero)ASAHigh-Speed PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA with a heat-activated blowing agent that expands at the nozzle[1][2]PLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[3][4]
Densityg/cm³0.99 filament (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183); Formfutura's grade reaches 0.33 g/cm³ fully expanded[1][2]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[5]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Bambu Lab's 1 kg listing[5]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[9][10][11]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][2]Stocked by most mainstream brands[12][8][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[6][8]
Typical applicationsDrone airframes, RC parts and floating or outdoor applications where mass matters and UV exposure rules out LW-PLA[2]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[14][12]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[15]
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]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][12]
Bed temperature°C80–90 (Bambu Lab); 50–90 (Formfutura)[1][2]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][16]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][17]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]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[18][19]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][20]≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[3][12][14][20]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedNone[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[18]Sticks to anything[21]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[18]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]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[12][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[17]Non-abrasive[23][22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedVery low[22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[19]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[24]
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[19]No special hot-end required[21]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 0.80 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, nearly double unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][25]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.80 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1]55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][16]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[26]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[26]
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[26]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[26]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[26]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[16][21]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[3][27]
Young's modulusMPa2010 ± 260 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%5.1 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa58 ± 6 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1510 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.2 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[1]5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32.0 ± 2.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Printing at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 24 against 58 in XY[1]32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[3][27]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[28]
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][25]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[27]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — no foamed-grade S-N curve; unfilled printed ASA holds a fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength[1][29]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[30][24]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%66 by tensile, 41 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C85 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][25]53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C78 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][25]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documented164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[31]53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[27]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[32]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[25]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[16][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Formfutura states the foaming grade retains ApolloX's UV resistance[2][33]Degrades within weeks outdoors[24][34]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[35]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[16]
Food contactNot food safe[18]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[24]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[18]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[36][24]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[18]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[36]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[37][17]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[37]
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[17][37]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[37][17]None needed in a normal room[37]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[18]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[34][24]
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[18]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[35]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[24][38]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[35]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[24]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[17]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
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.[39][35]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[40]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[41]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[40][42]
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.[42]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[43][42]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. ASA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  15. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  26. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. 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
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  33. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  34. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  35. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  36. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  37. 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
  38. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  39. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  41. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  42. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. 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