3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA vs PLA Silk

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

ASA guideSilk PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA comparisonsMore PLA Silk comparisons
ASA vs PLA Silk — documented properties and sources
PropertyASAASASilk PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.98/kg median; $17.99–$50.00/kg across 14 dated product listings$19.49/kg median; $9.75–$24.99/kg across 15 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 with a gloss-forming additive package; suppliers publish the composition as polylactic acid only[3]
Densityg/cm³1.05 (Bambu Lab) to 1.13 (PolyLite ASA), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.07[4][5][2]1.27 (ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[6][7][8]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
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[12][7][6][13][8][14][15][16][17]10–25 across brands; CHCKX 10 in a 16-roll bundle, SUNLU 13, LANDU 18, YXPOLYER 20, Polymaker 22, Devil Design 25[18][19][20][21][22]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[6][7][14][8]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][18][23]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.8, 1, 4 and 10 kg spools[14][8][6]1.75 mm; 1 and 1.1 kg spools; dual- and tri-colour coextruded variants[24][25]
Typical applicationsOutdoor fittings, signage, automotive exterior trim and anything that has to hold colour and strength in sunlight[26][1]Decorative prints where surface gloss matters more than strength[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[2]±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[27]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–270 across brands; Prusament 260 ± 10, Bambu Lab 240–270, PolyLite 230–260[4][5][2]210–240 — 20 °C above the plain PLA window[3]
Bed temperature°C75–110; Prusament 110 ± 5, Bambu Lab 80–100, PolyLite 75–95[4][5][2]35–45[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[5][28]Open frame is fine[3][29]
Recommended chamber temperature°C45–60 (Bambu Lab)[4]Not documented
Part cooling fanLow — Prusament 30 % within a 0–50 % range, Bambu Lab 0–80 %, PolyLite off[2][4][5]Fan on[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][28]Cool Plate SuperTack, smooth PEI or textured PEI[3]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[30]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][28]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][28]Sticks to anything[31]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[28][2]Easy — minor profile tuning; hotter nozzle and slower cap of 250 mm/s[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[28]Brass fine indefinitely[29]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[28]Non-abrasive[32][29]
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[33][29]Very low[29]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[33]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[34]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[33]No special hot-end required[31]
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[4][5][2]Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[3]
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)[4][5][2]0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 7 h (Polymaker)[4][5]55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 65–75 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed[3][35]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[36]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[36]
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[36]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[36]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[36]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[37][31]
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[4][5][2][38]33 (printed XY, ISO 527); eSun Silk broke 22 % below the 16-brand PLA mean on identical 4×4 mm bars[3][39]
Young's modulusMPa2379 (PolyLite) to 2450 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1600, Formfutura 2020[4][5][2][38]2130 (printed XY, ISO 527)[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[4][5][38][2]2.8 (printed XY, ISO 527) — a quarter of PLA Basic at 12.2[3][37]
Flexural strengthMPa64 ± 1 printed horizontal (Prusament, ISO 178); Bambu Lab 65 ± 5, PolyLite 73.4[2][4][5]75 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1920 ± 130 (Bambu Lab) to 3206 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2000[4][5][2]2460 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (PolyLite) to 19.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1, Formfutura 18[5][4][2][38]10.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 18.5[3]
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][4]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa11 ± 1 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 31 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 32 (PolyLite) printed Z tensile, ISO 527[2][4][5]25 (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][39][40]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[4][2]Brittle — snaps with little warning[3]
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[5][2]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[41][42]
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[43]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[44][34]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[4]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 73 for PolyLite ASA[4][5]76 by tensile, 40 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C93 (Prusament) to 103 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 100[2][5][4]60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C86 (Prusament) to 100 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Bambu Lab 92[2][5][4]56 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C98 (PolyLite, DSC)[5]57 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 105 (PolyLite, ISO 306)[5]158 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 66 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[45]50 — a loaded bar begins to move at this temperature (My Tech Fun, eSun eSilk PLA)[40]
Annealing responseNot documented50–55 °C for 6–12 h[3]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K69 ± 17 in XY and 115 ± 24 in the build direction (printed, TMA, 40–70 °C)[46]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ASA[4]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[37][47]
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 %[26]Degrades within weeks outdoors[34][48]
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[26]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[5]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[47][34]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[4]Good — insoluble in water[37]
Food contactNot food safe[1]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[34]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[49][34]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[1]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[49]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[50][28]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[50]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across the styrenic filaments tested; ASA itself was not among them[50]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median for ABS, the closest styrenic tested; ASA itself was not measured[50]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[28][50]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[50][28]None needed in a normal room[50]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[1]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[48][34]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[5]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[34][51]
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ASA dissolves in acetone[5]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[34]
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS that also serves ASA[28]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits; Stratasys notes the matte finish as a deliberate aesthetic advantage[28][26]55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges; gloss hides fine detail and is destroyed by sanding[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[52][5]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[53]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[54]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[53][55]
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.[55]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[56][55]

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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PLA Silk+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — ASA Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite ASA Technical Data Sheet Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. ASA — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Panchroma Silk PLA collection Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Spectrum PLA Silk — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. 3DJake ecoPLA Silk Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filastruder product catalogue Filastruder · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ZYLtech ASA-GF Glass Fiber filament — product page ZYLtech · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. IEMAI ASA 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. SUNLU ASA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. YXPOLYER ASA Purple product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. Sunlu Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1kg Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Bambu Lab PLA Silk 1.75mm 1kg 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. CHCKX 16 Pack Silk Dual Color PLA Filament Bundle CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. YXPOLYER Silk PLA Black&Gold product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. LANDU Silk Tri-Color PLA Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg LANDU (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. Overture Silk PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. eSUN PLA-Silk Magic 1.75mm eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  25. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  27. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  28. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  33. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  34. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  36. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  37. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  38. ApolloX Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  39. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  40. Testing eSun PLA filaments: PLA-ST vs PLA+ vs Silk PLA My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  43. 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
  44. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  45. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  46. Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing Polymers 14(15):3216 · 2022-08 · paper
  47. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  48. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  49. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  50. 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
  51. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  52. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  53. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  54. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  55. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  56. 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