3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA vs PLA Matte

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

ASA guideMatte PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA comparisonsMore PLA Matte comparisons
ASA vs PLA Matte — documented properties and sources
PropertyASAASAMatte PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.98/kg median; $17.99–$50.00/kg across 14 dated product listings$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryAcrylonitrile styrene acrylate — ABS with the butadiene rubber phase replaced by an acrylate rubber that has no UV-vulnerable double bonds[1][2]PLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.05 (Bambu Lab) to 1.13 (PolyLite ASA), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.07[5][6][2]1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[4][3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[7][8][9]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg18–50 across brands; IEMAI 18, SUNLU 18, Ambrosia 23, Polymaker 26, Bambu Lab 30, YXPOLYER 30, Prusament 41, 3DXTech 50[13][8][7][14][9][15][16][17][18]11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[19][11][20]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][15][9]Stocked by most mainstream brands[19][12][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.8, 1, 4 and 10 kg spools[15][9][7]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[10][21]
Typical applicationsOutdoor fittings, signage, automotive exterior trim and anything that has to hold colour and strength in sunlight[22][1]Display models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[2]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[23]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–270 across brands; Prusament 260 ± 10, Bambu Lab 240–270, PolyLite 230–260[5][6][2]190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[4][3]
Bed temperature°C75–110; Prusament 110 ± 5, Bambu Lab 80–100, PolyLite 75–95[5][6][2]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[4][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended — Polymaker calls a chamber needed at ambient temperature, Bambu Lab requires an enclosed printer and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[6][24]Open frame is fine[4][3]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Part cooling fanLow — Prusament 30 % within a 0–50 % range, Bambu Lab 0–80 %, PolyLite off[2][5][6]Fan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[4][3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSatin, smooth PEI or powder-coated sheet with a glue stick; Prusa advises a 3 mm or taller brim on large parts[2][24]Cool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[4][3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[25]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a tall brim and Bambu Lab attributes cracking to cooling stress exceeding interlayer adhesion[2][24]None[4]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][24]Sticks to anything[26]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[6]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[24][2]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[4][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[24]Brass fine indefinitely[27][4][3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[24]Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[3][4][28]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[29][27]Very low[27]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[29]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[30]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[29]No special hot-end required[26]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 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[5][6][2]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]
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)[5][6][2]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[4]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 7 h (Polymaker)[5][6]50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[4][3][31]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[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 for ASA; Polymaker groups the styrenics as moderate-sensitivity and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a stated strength delta[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[28][26]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa37 ± 3 (Bambu Lab) to 43.8 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 42 ± 1 at yield; Formfutura quotes 47.5 at yield[5][6][2][33]30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[4][34]
Young's modulusMPa2379 (PolyLite) to 2450 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1600, Formfutura 2020[5][6][2][33]1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[4][3]
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[5][6][33][2]14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[4]
Flexural strengthMPa64 ± 1 printed horizontal (Prusament, ISO 178); Bambu Lab 65 ± 5, PolyLite 73.4[2][5][6]53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[4][28]
Flexural modulusMPa1920 ± 130 (Bambu Lab) to 3206 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2000[5][6][2]2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (PolyLite) to 19.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1, Formfutura 18[6][5][2][33]6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[4]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 25 ± 3 printed horizontal and 38 ± 11 printed vertical (Prusament, ISO 179-1); Bambu Lab 41.0 ± 2.3 printed XY[2][5]Izod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[34]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa11 ± 1 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 31 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 32 (PolyLite) printed Z tensile, ISO 527[2][5][6]22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[4][34]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[5][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell78 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method)[2]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-ASA creep test found; Tg of 98 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening, unlike PLA[6][2]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[34]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — fatigue limit at 25 % of tensile strength (8 MPa) on printed specimens, the best of the four polymers in that study[35]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[36][30]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[5]Rigid[4]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 73 for PolyLite ASA[5][6]73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C93 (Prusament) to 103 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 100[2][6][5]58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[4][3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C86 (Prusament) to 100 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Bambu Lab 92[2][6][5]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C98 (PolyLite, DSC)[6]61 (DSC)[4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 105 (PolyLite, ISO 306)[6]163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[4]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[37]54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[34]
Annealing responseNot documented50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[4]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K69 ± 17 in XY and 115 ± 24 in the build direction (printed, TMA, 40–70 °C)[38]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ASA[5]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[28][39]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Excellent — 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 %[22]Degrades within weeks outdoors[30][40]
Outdoor durability1000 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[22]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[6]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[39][30]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[5]Good — insoluble in water[28]
Food contactNot food safe[1]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[30]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[41][30]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[1]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[41]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[42][24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[42]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across the styrenic filaments tested; ASA itself was not among them[42]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median for ABS, the closest styrenic tested; ASA itself was not measured[42]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[24][42]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[42][24]None needed in a normal room[42]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[1]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[40][30]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[6]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[30][43]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ASA dissolves in acetone[6]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[30]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS that also serves ASA[24]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits; Stratasys notes the matte finish as a deliberate aesthetic advantage[24][22]Matte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[44][6]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[45]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[46]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[45][47]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentAcetone vapour, ~20 min at 80 °C over 5 mm of liquid (15–40 min across brands); layer adhesion up, tensile slightly down.[47]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[48][47]

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. ASA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  2. Prusament ASA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2024-05 · tds
  3. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  7. ASA — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. IEMAI ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. SUNLU ASA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. YXPOLYER ASA Purple product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  23. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  30. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. ApolloX Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  34. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. 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
  36. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  37. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  38. Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing Polymers 14(15):3216 · 2022-08 · paper
  39. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  40. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  41. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  42. 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
  43. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  45. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  46. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  47. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  48. 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