3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA-GF vs PE

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

Glass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF) guidePolyethylene (PE) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA-GF comparisonsMore PE comparisons
ASA-GF vs PE — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF)ASAPolyethylene (PE)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.95/kg median; $26.99–$33.99/kg across 3 dated product listings$87.72/kg median; $87.72–$87.72/kg across 1 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryASA reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 10 wt% (Spectrum ASA-X GF10), 15 wt% (ZYLtech ASA-GF)[1][2]Polyethylene — the simplest polyolefin, non-polar and highly crystalline. The one retailed filament grade, Spectrum HDPE, uses what Spectrum calls Low Warp technology and is denser and stiffer than plain HDPE[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.07 (ZYLtech) and 1.11 (Spectrum), ISO 1183[1][2]1.10 (Spectrum HDPE filament, ISO 1183) against 0.95 for extruded HDPE stock — the filament is a modified formulation[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 28[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 88[7]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg27–34 across brands; Ambrosia 27, ZYLtech 30, Siraya Tech 34[5][6][8]87.72 — Spectrum's 500 g spools at 3DJAKE are the only PE filament listing found[7]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][1][2]Niche, a handful of specialist brands — Spectrum HDPE in six colours is the only PE filament in the 3DJAKE and igo3d product sitemaps, at MatterHackers or at Printed Solid, but it is a normal stocked item rather than a special order[9][10][11][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[2][5]1.75 mm; 500 g spools in six colours[7][9]
Typical applicationsOutdoor brackets and mounts that need stiffness and dimensional stability under sun and moisture[1][2]Chemically resistant containers, packaging prototypes and consumer goods where HDPE is the production material[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.01 at 95 % probability and ±0.02 at 100 % (ZYLtech)[2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–270 (Spectrum); 240–280 (ZYLtech)[1][2]240-290 (Spectrum HDPE)[3]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Spectrum); 90–110 on PEI (ZYLtech)[1][2]80-100 (Spectrum HDPE)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[12]Enclosure recommended — Spectrum recommends a closed chamber for larger prints[3]
Part cooling fan0–20 % (Spectrum)[1]0-50 % part cooling (Spectrum HDPE)[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidPEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[13][14]Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary for its low-warp HDPE, depending on geometry[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s2.4–5.6 at Spectrum's 30–70 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; ZYLtech allows up to 200 mm/s[1][2][15]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[12]Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield. Spectrum's low-warp grade is sold as printable on desktop machines, which is not true of plain polyethylene[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[13]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive; Spectrum states no adhesive is necessary but recommends a closed chamber for large parts[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[13]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; ZYLtech requires a hardened nozzle of 0.6 mm or larger[2][1]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; Spectrum sells the grade as desktop-printable with no dry box and no hardened nozzle[3]
Extruder requirementZYLtech specifies a hardened nozzle 0.6 mm or larger; Spectrum bases its settings on a 0.5 mm nozzle[2][1]Not documented
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Hardened steel required — Spectrum recommends ruby or hardened, ZYLtech requires hardened[1][2]Brass fine indefinitely — Spectrum states a ruby or hardened nozzle is not required[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1][2]Non-abrasive[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[16]Low — Spectrum lists no drybox and no ruby or hardened nozzle for HDPE, and very low moisture absorption[3]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[14]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[14]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — the ASA matrix takes up 0.40–0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[17][18][19]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no dry box[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documentedNo drying step published; Spectrum lists a dry box as not required[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]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[20]Not applicable in practice — Spectrum lists very low moisture absorption and no drybox requirement for HDPE[3]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[20]Store dry at 18-25 °C out of sunlight; Spectrum quotes a 24-month shelf life[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa33–36 at break, ISO 527 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated); Spectrum quotes 55 at break on injection-moulded specimens[2][1]29 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527; specimen type not stated) against 25.5 at yield on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 3700 psi)[3][4]
Young's modulusMPa2540–2890 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated) and 2550 (Spectrum, injection-moulded), ISO 527[2][1]3500 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against 965 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D638, from 140,000 psi) — the filament grade is nearly four times stiffer than plain polyethylene[3][4]
Elongation at break%3.4 at break (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated); Spectrum quotes 2.80 at yield on injection-moulded specimens[2][1]18 at break (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 527) against above 100 on extruded stock (ASTM D638)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented27.6 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D790; converted from 4000 psi)[4]
Flexural modulusMPa2130–2480 flexural modulus, ISO 178 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated)[2]3200 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 178) against 965 on extruded stock (ASTM D790, from 140,000 psi)[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²8.3 notched Charpy at 23 °C on injection-moulded specimens (Spectrum, ISO 179-1eA); ZYLtech publishes notched Izod 6.9 by ISO 180 instead[1][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 25 kJ/m² at 23 °C on injection-moulded specimens (Spectrum, ISO 179-1eU); ZYLtech notched Izod 6.9 kJ/m² (ISO 180)[1][2]Charpy 10 kJ/m2 (Spectrum HDPE, ISO 179-1; notch condition not stated); Izod 104 J/m on extruded stock, converted from 1.94 ft-lb/in (ASTM D256)[3][4]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 3.4 %[2]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking; 18 % elongation at break on the filament and above 100 % on extruded stock[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 67 and Rockwell R54 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D2240, D785); Spectrum quotes Rockwell 80 HRM for its filament (ISO 2039-2)[4][3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 2540–2890 against 2379–2450 for unfilled ASA[2][18][17]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 3.4 % against 6.7–9.2 % for unfilled ASA[2][18][17]Good — Spectrum lists outstanding abrasion and crack resistance for its HDPE, but no repeated-flex or fatigue test data was found for any PE filament[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Slightly flexible in thin sections — Spectrum's low-warp grade has a 3.5 GPa tensile modulus; plain extruded HDPE at 965 MPa is genuinely semi-flexible[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C100 (Spectrum, injection-moulded, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[1]75 on extruded HDPE stock (ASTM D648 at 66 psi; converted from 167 °F)[4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C97–99 unannealed (ZYLtech, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; specimen type not stated); Spectrum 90 on injection-moulded specimens[2][1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous ASA matrix; Vicat 98 (Spectrum, ISO 306). ZYLtech quotes a 210–220 °C melting range by ISO 11357 for its grade[1][2]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[21]110 stated as heat resistance by Spectrum with no test standard given; extruded stock is rated 120 long-term maximum (converted from 248 °F) and brittle below -76[3][4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented117 (extruded HDPE stock, ASTM D696; source states 6.5e-5 in/in/°F)[4]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[17]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Spectrum states the parts resist prolonged UV and moisture exposure[1][22]Moderate — a season or two. Spectrum describes its HDPE as UV-stable and weather-resistant but publishes no exposure data[3]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[18]Excellent chemical resistance to acids, bases, oils and solvents (Spectrum); Ensinger lists broad chemical compatibility for HDPE stock[3][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected; Ensinger lists low moisture absorption for HDPE stock and Spectrum very low absorption for the filament[3][4]
Food contactNot food safe[13]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[13]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[13]Spectrum states the filament is fully recyclable; HDPE is resin code 2[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[23][12]Not documented
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[12][23]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[23][12]Not documented
Dust & fibre handling hazardGlass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[13]Easy to machine — Ensinger lists machinability as a headline property of HDPE stock[4]
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[13]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[18]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[18]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[12]Not documented
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedSpectrum lists a shiny surface finish and no adhesive requirement; shrinkage remains the limit on large flat parts[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[24][18]None at room temperature; xylene dissolves HDPE at about 105 °C and LDPE at 75 °C. Hot decalin does the same.[25][26]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[27]Toluene, xylene, styrene, chloroform, dichloromethane, MEK and trichloroethylene are all unsatisfactory at 21 °C.[26]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[28][18]None — polyethylene has no room-temperature solvent, so joints are made by heat welding.[26][25]

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. Spectrum ASA-X GF10 Technical Data Sheet (mechanical and thermal data marked injection-moulded) Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
  2. ZYLtech ASA-GF Filament Technical Data Sheet v1 ZYLtech · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Spectrum HDPE Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2025-10 · tds
  4. TECAFINE HDPE natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum HDPE Traffic Black, 1.75 mm / 500 g 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ASA-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJAKE product catalogue 3DJAKE · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. igo3d product sitemap (17452 product URLs) igo3d · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  18. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  19. Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  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. 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
  24. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  25. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  26. HDPE Chemical Resistance Guide (21 °C and 60 °C) INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA · 2026-08 · tds
  27. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc