3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
BVOH vs Conductive
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | BVOH (soluble support)SUPPORT | Conductive filamentSPECIALTY |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings | $170.36/kg median; $89.99–$796.00/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Butenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer — a vinyl alcohol copolymer that dissolves faster and in cooler water than straight PVA[1] | A carbon-filled compound conductive by volume rather than merely dissipative; Proto-pasta's is PLA-based, Recreus's and NinjaTek's are TPU, and add:north's Koltron G1 does not state its base polymer[2][3][4][5] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1] | 1 kg-equivalent spools span 90–181 for the carbon-filled grades; add:north's Koltron G1 sits far above at 796 because it is sold only in 100 and 250 g coils[6][7][8] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1] | 90–796 across brands; Proto-pasta conductive PLA 90 at 1 kg, Recreus Conductive Filaflex 160 at 500 g, NinjaTek Eel 181 at 1 kg, add:north Koltron G1 796 at 250 g[6][3][7][8] |
| Market availability1–5 | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[6][3] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1] | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 kg spools[6][3][7][8] |
| Typical applications | Dissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1] | Capacitive touch surfaces, low-current traces, EMI shielding and static-safe fixtures[2] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[9] | Open frame is fine[2] |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[10] | Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[2] |
| Extruder requirement | A second extruder or a tool changer[9] | Not documented |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[9] | Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[9] | Moderately abrasive — conductive carbon filler[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[10] | Low — Proto-pasta states the carbon-filled grade prints on standard PLA settings with no special nozzle required[2] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[10][9] | Not documented |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Not a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[10] | Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[10] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant at all times[10] | Not documented |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Brittleness1–5 | Not documented | Brittle — snaps with little warning; carbon-black loading at conductive levels embrittles PLA[2] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Not documented | Rigid[2] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| Water / humidity resistance in service1–5 | Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1] | Not documented |
| Electrical & ESD properties | Not documented | Conductive rather than dissipative — Proto-pasta sells the grade as electrically conductive composite PLA[2] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[11] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[11] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[11] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[11] |
| Dust & fibre handling hazard | Not documented | Conductive carbon filler is bound in the matrix; avoid inhaling sanding dust[2] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Support material pairing | This is the support material[1] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | Water: about 1 g of BVOH per 20 g of water, several hours; warmer water is faster but must not be too hot.[12][1] | Chloroform dissolves PLA-based grades, leaving the carbon black; TPU-based grades need DMF, NMP or THF. Laboratory reagents.[13][14] |
| Softened or crazed by | Nothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[15] | Acetone and ethyl acetate plasticise a PLA-based grade; a TPU-based grade swells in toluene, esters and alcohols.[13][14] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[12] | None — neither PLA nor TPU has a workshop-safe welding or smoothing solvent.[13][14] |
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
- Fiberlogy BVOH Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
- Electrically Conductive Composite PLA — product page and technical data Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · tds
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Eel 3D Printing Filament Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
- Koltron G1 Technical Data Sheet add:north · 2026-08 · tds
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- Eel product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
- add:north Koltron G1 product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
- PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- 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
- Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
- Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
- Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds