3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA-GF vs PLA Silk

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

Glass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF) guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA-GF comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
ASA-GF vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyGlass-fibre ASA (ASA-GF)ASASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.95/kg median; $26.99–$33.99/kg across 3 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 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]PLA with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.07 (ZYLtech) and 1.11 (Spectrum), ISO 1183[1][2]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 28[4][5]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg27–34 across brands; Ambrosia 27, ZYLtech 30, Siraya Tech 34[4][5][9]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[10][11][12][13][14]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[4][1][2]Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][10][15]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 kg spools[2][4]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[16][17]
Typical applicationsOutdoor brackets and mounts that need stiffness and dimensional stability under sun and moisture[1][2]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.01 at 95 % probability and ±0.02 at 100 % (ZYLtech)[2]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[18]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C240–270 (Spectrum); 240–280 (ZYLtech)[1][2]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C80–100 (Spectrum); 90–110 on PEI (ZYLtech)[1][2]35–45[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[19]Open frame is fine[3][20]
Part cooling fan0–20 % (Spectrum)[1]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[21][22]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[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][23]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[19]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[21]Sticks to anything[24]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — Polymaker advises 1–2 mm retraction at 20–30 mm/s[21]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]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[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[20]
Abrasiveness1–5Highly abrasive — standard GF composite[1][2]Non-abrasive[25][20]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Prusa lists higher risk of nozzle clogging for glass-filled composites[26]Very low[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[22]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[27]
Hotend requirementNo special hotend required[22]No special hot-end required[24]
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[28][29][30]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][31]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[32]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[32]
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[32]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[32]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[32]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[33][24]
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]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][34]
Young's modulusMPa2540–2890 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated) and 2550 (Spectrum, injection-moulded), ISO 527[2][1]2130 (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]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][33]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa2130–2480 flexural modulus, ISO 178 (ZYLtech; specimen type not stated)[2]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
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]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
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]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented25 (printed Z, ISO 527), and flexural Z collapses to 30 against 75 in XY; eSun Silk broke at 12.3 kg where twelve of the 16 plain PLAs managed 44.6–61.5 kg[3][34][35]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning; elongation at break 3.4 %[2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[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][29][28]Poor — no silk-specific creep data published; plain PLA sagged from 12 to 18.7–20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[36][37]
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][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)[38][27]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C100 (Spectrum, injection-moulded, ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa)[1]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
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]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented57 (DSC)[3]
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]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[39]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[35]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[28]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[33][40]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use; Spectrum states the parts resist prolonged UV and moisture exposure[1][41]Degrades within weeks outdoors[27][42]
Chemical resistanceGood 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; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[40][27]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[33]
Food contactNot food safe[21]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[21]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[43][27]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[21]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[43]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[44][19]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[44]
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[19][44]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[44][19]None needed in a normal room[44]
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[21]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[42][27]
Painting & finishingPaints readily; ASA holds colour outdoors so many parts are left unpainted[21]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[29]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[27][45]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works[29]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a Support for ABS that also serves ASA[19]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves the resin and leaves the fibre; MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and chlorinated solvents attack the styrenic backbone.[46][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.[47]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[47][49]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour reaches only the resin fraction, so the fibre is left standing proud of the smoothed surface.[49][29]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[50][49]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Siraya Tech Fibreheart ASA-GF Filament product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  30. Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
  31. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  34. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  35. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  36. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  39. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  40. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  41. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  42. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  43. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. 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
  45. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  46. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  47. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  48. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  49. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. 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