3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA Aero vs PVB

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

Foaming ASA (ASA Aero) guidePVB guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA Aero comparisonsMore PVB comparisons
ASA Aero vs PVB — documented properties and sources
PropertyFoaming ASA (ASA Aero)ASAPVBSPECIALTY
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$49.99/kg median; $49.99–$49.99/kg across 1 dated product listings$66.65/kg median; $49.32–$79.98/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA with a heat-activated blowing agent that expands at the nozzle[1][2]Polyvinyl butyral — a printable thermoplastic whose surface can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol instead of a hot solvent[3]
Densityg/cm³0.99 filament (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183); Formfutura's grade reaches 0.33 g/cm³ fully expanded[1][2]1.10 (Polymaker PolySmooth, ISO 1183); Prusament PVB 1.10[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 50[5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 80[6][7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg50 at Bambu Lab's 1 kg listing[5]49–102 across brands; Polymaker PolySmooth 49 at 750 g, Prusament PVB 80–102 at 500 g[6][7]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][2]Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[6][7]
Typical applicationsDrone airframes, RC parts and floating or outdoor applications where mass matters and UV exposure rules out LW-PLA[2]Display models and light guides where a layer-free surface matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented+/- 0.03 (Prusament PVB)[4]
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]215 +/- 10 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed temperature°C80–90 (Bambu Lab); 50–90 (Formfutura)[1][2]75 +/- 5 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Bambu Lab specifies a 45–60 °C chamber[1][8]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]100 % part cooling (Prusament PVB)[4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[9][10]Smooth PEI sheet or satin sheet; Prusa states a brim is not generally necessary[4]
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][11]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[9]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[9]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; it prints close to PLA[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[8]Brass fine indefinitely[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[8]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Not documentedModerate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa calls PVB very prone to absorbing moisture and requires a 60 °C, 4 h dry before every print[12][13]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[10]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[10]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 0.80 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, nearly double unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][14]Very high (>2 %) — 2.36 % equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth), above every PLA and PETG grade here[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.80 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1]2.36 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolySmooth); 2.09 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB takes up 0.18 in 24 h and 0.35 in 7 days at 24 °C and 22 % RH[3][15][4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[1]Maximum 60 °C for 4-8 h depending on how wet the filament is (Prusament PVB)[4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13]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[13]Polymaker publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; at 2.36 % equilibrium uptake the material has to be kept dry to print cleanly[3][13]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[13]Sealed with desiccant[13]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa32 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]51.8 ± 0.7 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); 53.2 ± 1.1 for PolyCast; Prusament PVB gives 50 +/- 5 at yield printed horizontal (ISO 527-1) and 57 +/- 1 on the filament (ISO 527)[3][15][4]
Young's modulusMPa2010 ± 260 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]2199 ± 43 printed XY and 2010 ± 69 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolySmooth); Prusament PVB gives 1700 +/- 100 in both print directions (ISO 527-1)[3][4]
Elongation at break%5.1 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[1]5.7 ± 0.5 printed XY, ISO 527 (PolyCast)[15]
Flexural strengthMPa58 ± 6 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]72 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 73 +/- 3 printed vertical, ISO 178 (Prusament PVB)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa1510 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[1]2233 ± 106 printed XY, ISO 178 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 2200 +/- 100 horizontal and 2300 +/- 100 vertical (ISO 178)[15][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.2 ± 1.6 printed XY, ISO 179, notched (Bambu Lab)[1]7 +/- 1 printed horizontal and 10 +/- 1 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament PVB)[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 32.0 ± 2.5 printed XY (Bambu Lab, ISO 179)[1]Charpy unnotched 55 +/- 7 printed horizontal and 59 +/- 12 printed vertical (Prusament PVB, ISO 179-1)[4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa21 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 24 against 58 in XY[1]26.3 ± 2.1 printed Z, ISO 527 (PolyCast); Prusament PVB gives 49 +/- 5 at yield printed vertical (ISO 527-1) and 9 +/- 1 on Prusa's interlayer adhesion test[15][4]
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 77 (Prusa Polymers method)[4]
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][14]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][16]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%66 by tensile, 41 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[1]98 (Prusament PVB, printed vertical against horizontal tensile yield, ISO 527-1: 49 +/- 5 against 50 +/- 5) — the most isotropic printed material in this dataset[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C85 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 100 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][14]68 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Prusament PVB 63 (ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[3][15][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C78 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa, Bambu Lab) against 92 for unfilled Bambu Lab ASA[1][14]66 (PolySmooth) and 53 (PolyCast), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament PVB 58 (ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa)[3][15][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented70 (DSC) for both PolySmooth and PolyCast[3][15]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 70 (PolySmooth) and 67 (PolyCast), ISO 306[3][15]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[17]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[14]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Formfutura states the foaming grade retains ApolloX's UV resistance[2][18]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[19]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe[9]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[9]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[9]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[20][8]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[20]
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][20]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[20][8]Open a window / occasional ventilation[20]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[9]Not documented
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[9]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[19]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[19]Isopropyl alcohol vapour smoothing is the point of the material — Polymaker markets PolySmooth for hands-free post-processing to a layer-free surface[3]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[8]PolyDissolve S1 is rated for PVB (Polymaker)[21]
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte, textured surface that hides layer lines; colour lightens as the foaming degree rises, which doubles as a visual density cue[2]PolyCast is the investment-casting variant of the same chemistry — it burns out cleanly rather than being smoothed[15]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[22][19]Isopropyl alcohol dissolves it; Prusa describes PVB as soluble only in IPA, and it is not water-soluble.[12]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[23]Not documented
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.[24]Isopropyl alcohol: brushed or sprayed on for speed, or several hours in IPA vapour for a glass-like surface.[24][12]

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. PolySmooth Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament PVB Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. ASA Aero — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  9. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  10. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  11. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Prusament PVB — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  15. PolyCast Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  16. 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
  17. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  19. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  20. 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
  21. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  22. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  23. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc