3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

ASA vs PPA

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

ASA guidePPA (polyphthalamide) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore ASA comparisonsMore PPA comparisons
ASA vs PPA — documented properties and sources
PropertyASAASAPPA (polyphthalamide)PA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$28.98/kg median; $17.99–$50.00/kg across 14 dated product listings$45.49/kg median; $45.49–$45.49/kg across 1 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]Polyphthalamide — a semi-aromatic polyamide in which aromatic diacid units replace part of the aliphatic backbone; Raise3D and Bambu Lab both label it high-temperature nylon[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.05 (Bambu Lab) to 1.13 (PolyLite ASA), ISO 1183; Prusament 1.07[5][6][2]1.21 (ISO 1183, Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA)[7]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 30[8][9][10]One 1 kg listing on the market, at 45[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][9][8][13][10][14][15][16][17]45 for the only unfilled PPA filament found — Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA at 1 kg; every other PPA in retail is carbon- or glass-filled[11]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[8][9][14][10]Special order, 1–2 makers worldwide — Siraya Tech is the only brand found selling unfilled PPA filament[11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.8, 1, 4 and 10 kg spools[14][10][8]1.75 mm, 1 kg[11]
Typical applicationsOutdoor fittings, signage, automotive exterior trim and anything that has to hold colour and strength in sunlight[18][1]Gears, bearings and tooling that must hold load above the reach of PA6 or PA12, and parts exposed to fuels and industrial chemicals[7]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.04 (Prusament)[2]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–270 across brands; Prusament 260 ± 10, Bambu Lab 240–270, PolyLite 230–260[5][6][2]280–300 (Siraya Tech)[7]
Bed temperature°C75–110; Prusament 110 ± 5, Bambu Lab 80–100, PolyLite 75–95[5][6][2]70–80 (Siraya Tech)[7]
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][19]Enclosure recommended — Siraya Tech advises an enclosure to hold temperature and limit warping on larger prints[7]
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]20–60 % (Siraya Tech)[7]
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][19]PEI sheet with a glue stick, or a PVP glue coating[7]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s10–16 (PrusaSlicer guidance for ABS/ASA)[20]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][19]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[2][19]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight[6]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[19][2]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; needs a 300 °C-class hot end and a dry spool[7]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[19]Brass fine indefinitely — Siraya Tech states a hardened steel nozzle is not needed for the unfilled grade[7]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[19]Non-abrasive when unfilled[7]
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[21][22]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; Siraya Tech tells users to dry only when moisture symptoms appear, rather than before every print[7]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[21]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[21]High-quality metal nozzle, 0.4–1.0 mm; hardened steel not required (Siraya Tech)[7]
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]High (0.8–2 %) — Siraya Tech publishes 2.59 % by ISO 62 immersion for the unfilled grade; on the equilibrium basis Bambu Lab uses, its 15 % carbon-filled PPA reaches 1.30 % against 2.35 % for the same maker's PA6-CF[7][4][23]
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]2.59 by ISO 62 water immersion (Siraya Tech, unfilled) — an immersion figure, not the 25 °C / 55 % RH equilibrium basis the filled grades are quoted on, so the two are not directly comparable[7]
Drying temperature & time80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 70 °C for 7 h (Polymaker)[5][6]80–100 °C for 4–6 h (Siraya Tech)[7]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[24]Oozing, bubbles and a rough surface finish (Siraya Tech)[7]
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[24]Siraya Tech publishes dry against saturated for the same grade: tensile 70 → 60 MPa, flexural 114 → 87 MPa, HDT at 1.8 MPa 73.5 → 48.5 °C, while Charpy rises 10 → 14.5 kJ/m²[7][11]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker rates the styrenics moderate-sensitivity[24]Dry box below 15 % RH (Siraya Tech)[7]
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][25]72 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech); the product page quotes 70 dry and 60 saturated[7][11]
Young's modulusMPa2379 (PolyLite) to 2450 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1600, Formfutura 2020[5][6][2][25]3600 (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
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][25][2]10.5 at break (printed, ASTM D638, Siraya Tech)[7]
Flexural strengthMPa64 ± 1 printed horizontal (Prusament, ISO 178); Bambu Lab 65 ± 5, PolyLite 73.4[2][5][6]115 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech); 114 dry against 87 saturated on the product page[7][11]
Flexural modulusMPa1920 ± 130 (Bambu Lab) to 3206 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2000[5][6][2]3350 (printed, ISO 178, Siraya Tech)[7]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²10.3 (PolyLite) to 19.6 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1, Formfutura 18[6][5][2][25]10.1 Charpy (printed, ISO 179, Siraya Tech); the data sheet does not state whether the specimen was notched[7]
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]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa11 ± 1 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 31 ± 4 (Bambu Lab) and 32 (PolyLite) printed Z tensile, ISO 527[2][5][6]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[5][2]Moderate — 10.5 % elongation at break puts it between PA6 and the fibre-filled grades[7]
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]Good — Raise3D cites high creep resistance as a reason to choose the PPA matrix over other nylons[3]
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[26]Not documented
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[5]Rigid — 3.6 GPa tensile modulus[7]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (Bambu Lab, printed Z against XY tensile); 73 for PolyLite ASA[5][6]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedSiraya Tech describes the unfilled grade as low-friction and self-lubricating, aimed at gears and bearings[7][11]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C93 (Prusament) to 103 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 100[2][6][5]81 dry and 61 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method B at 0.45 MPa, Siraya Tech)[7]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C86 (Prusament) to 100 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Bambu Lab 92[2][6][5]73.5 dry and 48.5 saturated (printed, ISO 75 Method A at 1.8 MPa, Siraya Tech) — unfilled PPA deflects near its Tg; the 190–227 °C figures quoted for PPA are carbon-filled grades[7][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C98 (PolyLite, DSC)[6]80 (ASTM D3418, Siraya Tech)[7]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 105 (PolyLite, ISO 306)[6]231 melting point (ASTM D3418) and 230 Vicat (ISO 306), Siraya Tech[7]
Continuous service temperature°C93 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament ASA[27]Not documented
Annealing responseNot documentedSiraya Tech's product page offers annealing for strength while its own data sheet says annealing is not recommended because the print can warp; on its 15 % carbon-filled PPA, annealing lifts HDT at 1.8 MPa from 82.5 to 119 °C[7][11][28]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K69 ± 17 in XY and 115 ± 24 in the build direction (printed, TMA, 40–70 °C)[29]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard ASA[5]Not documented
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 %[18]Not documented
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[18]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, weak alkalis, oils and grease; dissolved by acetone[6]Withstands fuels, oils and industrial chemicals; Bambu Lab rates semi-aromatic nylon better than general nylon against weak acids, weak alkalis and most organic solvents[7][4]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[5]Absorbs water, properties shift — a saturated specimen loses about 15 % of its tensile strength and 25 °C of heat-deflection temperature[7][11]
Food contactNot food safe[1]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[1]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[30][19]Not documented
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across the styrenic filaments tested; ASA itself was not among them[30]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min2 × 10¹⁰ to 9 × 10¹⁰ median for ABS, the closest styrenic tested; ASA itself was not measured[30]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[19][30]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[30][19]Not documented
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands well and takes filler before painting[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with acetone[6]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingAcetone vapour smoothing works — ASA dissolves in acetone[6]Not documented
Support material pairingHIPS breaks away or dissolves in d-limonene; Bambu Lab sells a dedicated Support for ABS that also serves ASA[19]Compatible with quick-release support materials (Siraya Tech)[7]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWarping and cooling-stress cracking are the accuracy limits; Stratasys notes the matte finish as a deliberate aesthetic advantage[19][18]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inAcetone dissolves it (Polymaker); MEK, THF, ethyl acetate and the chlorinated solvents dissolve the styrenic backbone.[31][6]Dissolved at 23 °C by formic acid, phenol, m-cresol, 96 % sulphuric acid or hexafluoroisopropanol — all laboratory reagents.[32]
Softened or crazed byLimonene attacks some grades — Prusa reports Prusament ASA Orange flaking apart as layer adhesion fails.[33]Mineral acids, oxidants, halogens and zinc chloride solutions attack the amide bond; ordinary solvents do not.[32]
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.[34]None — nylon's only solvents are formic acid, phenol and HFIP, all of which degrade the part they wet.[32]

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. Raise3D Industrial PPA CF Technical Data Sheet V2.0 Raise3D · 2022-04 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PPA-CF 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. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  8. ASA — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 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. ASA — FDM Material Data Sheet (includes 1000 h QUV exposure results) Stratasys · 2026-08 · tds
  19. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. ASA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PA6-CF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  24. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. ApolloX Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  26. 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
  27. Prusament ASA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Siraya Tech Fibreheart PPA-CF Technical Data Sheet Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Basalt Fiber Composites with Reduced Thermal Expansion for Additive Manufacturing Polymers 14(15):3216 · 2022-08 · paper
  30. 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
  31. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. Ultramid Nylon Chemical Resistance guide (unmodified PA6 B27E and PA66 A27E) BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  33. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc