Filament comparison
ASA vs rPETG
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | ASAASA | Recycled PETG (rPETG)PETG |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $28.98/kg median; $17.99–$50.00/kg across 14 dated product listings | $28.99/kg median; $17.24–$39.98/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate — ABS with the butadiene rubber phase replaced by an acrylate rubber that has no UV-vulnerable double bonds[1][2] | PETG regranulated from recycled polyester waste; Polymaker's Fiberon PETG-rCF08 adds 8 wt% recycled carbon fibre[3][4][5] |
| Densityg/cm³ | 1.05 (Bambu Lab) to 1.13 (PolyLite ASA), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.07[6][7][2] | 1.27 (Prusament) and 1.30 (Fiberon PETG-rCF08), ISO 1183[3][5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 30[8][9][10] | 1 kg spools cluster near 29[11][12][9][13] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 18–50 across brands; IEMAI 18, SUNLU 18, Ambrosia 23, Polymaker 26, Bambu Lab 30, YXPOLYER 30, Prusament 41, 3DXTech 50[14][9][8][15][10][11][16][17][18] | 17–40 across brands; Filament PM RePETG 17, 3DXTech ECOMAX 26, GreenGate3D 32, Fiberon rCF08 40[11][12][9][13] |
| Market availability1–5 | Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][11][10] | Available from several mainstream brands[11][12][9] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.8, 1, 4 and 10 kg spools[11][10][8] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 1 and 3 kg spools[9][12] |
| Typical applications | Outdoor fittings, signage, automotive exterior trim and anything that has to hold colour and strength in sunlight[19][1] | Not documented |
| Diameter tolerance± mm | ±0.04 (Prusament)[2] | ±0.05 (Prusament PETG Recycled), against ±0.02 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][20] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 230–270 across brands; Prusament 260 ± 10, Bambu Lab 240–270, PolyLite 230–260[6][7][2] | 250 ± 10 (Prusament); 230–255 (Spectrum)[3][4] |
| Bed temperature°C | 75–110; Prusament 110 ± 5, Bambu Lab 80–100, PolyLite 75–95[6][7][2] | 80 ± 10 (Prusament); 60–80 (Spectrum)[3][4] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Enclosure recommended — Polymaker calls a chamber needed at ambient temperature, Bambu Lab requires an enclosed printer and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[7][21] | Open frame is fine — Spectrum states a closed chamber is not necessary[4] |
| Recommended chamber temperature°C | 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[6] | Not documented |
| Part cooling fan | Low — Prusament 30 % within a 0–50 % range, Bambu Lab 0–80 %, PolyLite off[2][6][7] | 50 % (Prusament); up to 100 % (Spectrum)[3][4] |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | Satin, smooth PEI or powder-coated sheet with a glue stick; Prusa advises a 3 mm or taller brim on large parts[2][21] | Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets; on smooth PEI a glue stick acts as a release agent[20][22] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[23] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a tall brim and Bambu Lab attributes cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[2][21] | Not documented |
| Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5 | Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][21] | Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[20][22] |
| Stringing / oozing tendency1–5 | Slight[7] | Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker names stringing as PETG's common quirk[22] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[21][2] | Easy — minor profile tuning; Spectrum describes printing as similar to standard PETG[4] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[21] | Brass fine indefinitely[3] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[21] | Not documented |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[24][25] | Low — recycled PETG prints on the same hardware as virgin PETG: no special hot-end, no drybox and no hardened nozzle[26][25] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Slightly sensitive[24] | Slightly sensitive[26] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required[24] | No special hot-end required[26] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — 0.45 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab) and 0.40 % equilibrium (Polymaker); Prusa measures only 0.17 % after 7 days at 22 % RH[6][7][2] | Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — recycled PETG shares the virgin matrix, which reaches 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[20] |
| Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH% | 0.45 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.40 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.17 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[6][7][2] | 0.07 after 24 h and 0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3] |
| Drying temperature & time | 80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 7 h (Polymaker)[6][7] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[27] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[27] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published for ASA; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a stated strength delta[27] | Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic; no dry-versus-conditioned strength figures are published for this grade and the loss shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[27] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[27] | Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[27][22] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 37 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 43.8 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 42 ± 1 at yield; Formfutura quotes 47.5 at yield[6][7][2][28] | 43 ± 1.8 printed horizontal at yield, ISO 527-1 (Prusament), against 47 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 52 at yield on moulded specimens[3][20][4] |
| Young's modulusMPa | 2379 (PolyLite) to 2450 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1600, Formfutura 2020[6][7][2][28] | 1500 printed horizontal, 1600 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 527-1) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[3][20] |
| Elongation at break% | 6.7 (PolyLite) to 9.2 (Bambu Lab) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; Formfutura quotes 15 at break, Prusament 3.4 at yield[6][7][28][2] | 4.5 at yield printed (Prusament); Spectrum quotes 400 at break on moulded specimens[3][4] |
| Flexural strengthMPa | 64 ± 1 printed horizontal (Prusament, ISO 178); Bambu Lab 65 ± 5, PolyLite 73.4[2][6][7] | 63 ± 1 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament), against 66 ± 2 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][20] |
| Flexural modulusMPa | 1920 ± 130 (Bambu Lab) to 3206 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2000[6][7][2] | 1800 printed horizontal, ISO 178 (Prusament)[3] |
| Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m² | 10.3 (PolyLite) to 19.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1, Formfutura 18[7][6][2][28] | 12 ± 1 printed horizontal and 15 ± 3 printed vertical, ISO 179-1 notched (Prusament)[3] |
| Other impact data | Charpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Bambu Lab 41.0 ± 2.3 printed XY[2][6] | Charpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1)[3] |
| Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa | 11 ± 1 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 31 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 32 (PolyLite) printed Z tensile, ISO 527[2][6][7] | 15 ± 5 (Prusa Polymers interlayer adhesion test), against 18 ± 4 for virgin Prusament PETG[3][20] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[6][2] | Moderate[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | 78 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[2] | 74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG[3][20] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Moderate — no printed-ASA creep test found; Tg of 98 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[7][2] | Below average — no recycled-grade creep test; virgin PETG sagged from 12 to 17.1–20.4 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[29][30][31][32] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Moderate — fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength (8 MPa) on printed specimens, the best of the four polymers in that study[33] | Moderate — no recycled-grade S-N curve; virgin printed PETG ran 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[34] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Rigid[6] | Slightly flexible in thin sections[3] |
| Z strength as % of XY% | 84 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 73 for PolyLite ASA[6][7] | Not documented |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| HDT at 0.45 MPa°C | 93 (Prusament) to 103 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 100[2][7][6] | 68 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — the same as virgin Prusament PETG; Spectrum quotes 70[3][20][4] |
| HDT at 1.8 MPa°C | 86 (Prusament) to 100 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Bambu Lab 92[2][7][6] | 68 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3] |
| Glass transition (Tg)°C | 98 (PolyLite, DSC)[7] | Not documented |
| Melting point / Vicat°C | Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 105 (PolyLite, ISO 306)[7] | Not documented |
| Continuous service temperature°C | 93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[35] | Not documented |
| Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K | 69 ± 17 in XY and 115 ± 24 in the build direction (printed, TMA, 40–70 °C)[36] | Not documented |
| Flammability / UL 94 | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ASA[6] | Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard grades[37] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Excellent — designed for permanent outdoor use. After 1000 h of QUV exposure to ASTM G154 Stratasys measured yield strength falling only from 30.5 to 30.3 MPa and stress at break by 3.0 %[19] | Not documented |
| Outdoor durability | 1000 h QUV per ASTM G154, cycling 8 h at 60 °C and 4 h at 50 °C with condensation: yield 30.5 → 30.3 MPa, stress at break 30.5 → 29.5 MPa, elongation 2.8 → 2.3 %, modulus 1.82 → 1.95 GPa[19] | Not documented |
| Chemical resistance | Good against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[7] | Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure[22] |
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Good — minor absorption[6] | Not documented |
| Food contact | Not food safe[1] | Not certified for food contact as filament[22] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[1] | Not biodegradable[22] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[1] | The feedstock itself — Spectrum describes collecting, shredding and re-homogenising PETG waste[4] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[38][21] | Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[38] |
| VOC emission rateµg/min | 12–113 styrene, the range measured across the styrenic filaments tested; ASA itself was not among them[38] | Not documented |
| Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min | 2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median for ABS, the closest styrenic tested; ASA itself was not measured[38] | Not documented |
| 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[21][38] | Not documented |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[38][21] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[38] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Sands well and takes filler before painting[1] | Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[26] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Solvent-welds with acetone[7] | Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[26] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | Acetone vapour smoothing works — ASA dissolves in acetone[7] | No practical vapour smoothing[26] |
| Support material pairing | HIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS that also serves ASA[21] | Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[26] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Warping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits; Stratasys notes the matte finish as a deliberate aesthetic advantage[21][19] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Acetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[39][7] | No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[40][41] |
| Softened or crazed by | Limonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[42] | Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[40] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | Acetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid (15–40 min across brands); layer adhesion up, tensile slightly down.[41] | Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[41] |
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
- ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
- Prusament PETG Recycled Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- Spectrum r-PETG Technical Data Sheet Spectrum Filaments · 2026-08 · tds
- Fiberon PETG-rCF08 Technical Data Sheet V1.0 Polymaker · 2026-08 · tds
- Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
- PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- ASA — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
- Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
- Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
- 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
- GreenGate3D Recycled PET-G — product data GreenGate3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filament PM RePETG technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
- Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
- ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
- IEMAI ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
- SUNLU ASA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
- YXPOLYER ASA Purple product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
- ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
- Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
- ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
- PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- ApolloX Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
- PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
- 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
- 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
- Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing Polymers 14(15):3216 · 2022-08 · paper
- Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
- 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
- Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
- Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
- Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc