Filament comparison
ASA-GF vs PLA HS
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | Glass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF)ASA | High-Speed PLAPLA |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $29.95/kg median; $26.99–$33.99/kg across 3 dated product listings | $19.99/kg median; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | ASA reinforced with chopped glass fibre — 10 wt% (Spectrum ASA-X GF10), 15 wt% (ZYLtech ASA-GF)[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/cm³ | 1.07 (ZYLtech) and 1.11 (Spectrum), ISO 1183[1][2] | 1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 28[5][6] | Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 27–34 across brands; Ambrosia 27, ZYLtech 30, Siraya Tech 34[5][6][10] | 11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[11][12][13] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[5][1][2] | Stocked by most mainstream brands[14][9][15] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[2][5] | 1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[7][9] |
| Typical applications | Outdoor brackets and mounts that need stiffness and dimensional stability under sun and moisture[1][2] | Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[16][14] |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | ±0.01 at 95 % probability and ±0.02 at 100 % (ZYLtech)[2] | ±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[17] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 240–270 (Spectrum); 240–280 (ZYLtech)[1][2] | 210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][14] |
| Bed temperature°C | 80–100 (Spectrum); 90–110 on PEI (ZYLtech)[1][2] | 30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][18] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended[19] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 0–20 % (Spectrum)[1] | Fan on[3] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet, BuildTak or an adhesion aid such as Magigoo (Polymaker); Simplify3D also lists Kapton tape and ASA slurry[20][21] | Not documented |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 2.4–5.6 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][22] | ≈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][14][16][22] |
| Warping tendency1–5 | Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[19] | None[3] |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[20] | Sticks to anything[23] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[20] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; ZYLtech requires a hardened nozzle of 0.6 mm or larger[2][1] | Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[14][3] |
| Extruder requirement | ZYLtech 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 required1–4 | Hardened steel required — Spectrum recommends ruby or hardened, ZYLtech requires hardened[1][2] | Brass fine indefinitely[24] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1][2] | Non-abrasive[25][24] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[26] | Very low[24] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[21] | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[27] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hotend required[21] | No special hot-end required[23] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — the ASA matrix takes up 0.40–0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; no glass-filled grade publishes its own figure[28][29][30] | Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | Not documented | 0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | Not documented | 55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][18] |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[31] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[31] |
| 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[31] | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[31] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[31] | Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[18][23] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 33–36 at break, ISO 527 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated); Spectrum quotes 55 at break on injection-moulded specimens[2][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][32] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2540–2890 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated) and 2550 (Spectrum, injection-moulded), ISO 527[2][1] | 2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Elongation at break% | 3.4 at break (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated); Spectrum quotes 2.80 at yield on injection-moulded specimens[2][1] | 15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | Not documented | 71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 2130–2480 flexural modulus, ISO 178 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated)[2] | 2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 8.3 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] | 5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3] |
| Other impact data | Charpy 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] | Printing at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | Not documented | 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][32] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 3.4 %[2] | Moderate[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | Not documented | 78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[33] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Good — no creep test found; chopped glass fibre lifts modulus to 2540–2890 against 2379–2450 for unfilled ASA[2][29][28] | Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[32] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Below average — no GF-grade S-N curve; elongation at break falls to 3.4 % against 6.7–9.2 % for unfilled ASA[2][29][28] | Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[34][27] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[2] | Rigid[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | Not documented | 74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 100 (Spectrum, injection-moulded, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[1] | 53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 97–99 unannealed (ZYLtech, ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; specimen type not stated); Spectrum 90 on injection-moulded specimens[2][1] | 52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | Not documented | 59 (DSC)[3] |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Amorphous ASA matrix; Vicat 98 (Spectrum, ISO 306). ZYLtech quotes a 210–220 °C melting range by ISO 11357 for its grade[1][2] | 164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3] |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[35] | 53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[32] |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | Not documented | 96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[36] |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[28] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[18][4] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Spectrum states the parts resist prolonged UV and moisture exposure[1][37] | Degrades within weeks outdoors[27][38] |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[29] | Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Not documented | Good — insoluble in water[18] |
| Food contact | Not food safe[20] | Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[20] | Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[39][27] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[20] | Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[39] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[40][19] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[40] |
| 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[19][40] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[40][19] | None needed in a normal room[40] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Glass fibre is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[1] | Not documented |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[20] | Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[38][27] |
| Painting & finishing | Paints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[20] | Not documented |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Solvent-welds with acetone[29] | Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[27][41] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone vapour smoothing works[29] | No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[19] | PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3] |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[42][29] | Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[43] |
| Softened or crazed by | Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[44] | Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[43][45] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[45][29] | Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[46][45] |
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
- Spectrum ASA-X GF10 Technical Data Sheet (mechanical and thermal data marked injection-moulded) Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
- ZYLtech ASA-GF Filament Technical Data Sheet v1 ZYLtech · 2026-08 · tds
- PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
- ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
- Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Siraya Tech Fibreheart ASA-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
- PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
- PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
- Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
- Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
- ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
- Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
- 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
- Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- 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