3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

BVOH vs PC

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

BVOH (soluble support) guidePolycarbonate (PC) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore BVOH comparisonsMore PC comparisons
BVOH vs PC — documented properties and sources
PropertyBVOH (soluble support)SUPPORTPolycarbonate (PC)PC
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$165.72/kg median; $165.72–$165.72/kg across 1 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $29.99–$92.00/kg across 9 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryButenediol vinyl alcohol copolymer — a vinyl alcohol copolymer that dissolves faster and in cooler water than straight PVA[1]Bisphenol-A polycarbonate — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic[2][3]
Densityg/cm³Not documented1.19 (Polymaker) to 1.22 (Prusament), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.20; Stratasys specific gravity 1.20 (ASTM D792)[2][4][5][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 166[1]1 kg spools cluster near 40[5][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg166 at Fiberlogy's 500 g pricing on 3DJake[1]30–92 across brands; Polymaker PolyLite 30, Bambu Lab 40, Polymaker PolyMax 52, Prusament 59, 3DXTech ezPC 64 and 3DXMAX PC 92[7][5][8][9]
Market availability1–5Niche, a handful of specialist brands[1]Available from several mainstream brands[5][7][9][8]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 kg spools[1]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1 and 3 kg spools[7][9][8]
Typical applicationsDissolvable support where PVA dissolves too slowly, and for materials PVA bonds to poorly[1]Light guides, lenses, under-bonnet automotive parts and impact-loaded housings that must hold shape above 110 °C[3][2]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Prusament PC Blend)[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°CNot documented250–280 across brands; Prusament 275 ± 10, Bambu Lab 260–280, Polymaker 250–270. Polymaker's material guide gives a wider 260–310 for PC and its composites[4][5][2][3]
Bed temperature°CNot documented90–115; Prusament 110 ± 10, Bambu Lab 90–110, Polymaker 90–105[4][5][2]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[10]Enclosure required (passive) — Polymaker specifies a 70–100 °C chamber, Bambu Lab 45–60 °C and rules out its P1P and A-series machines[2][5][11]
Recommended chamber temperature°CNot documented70–100 (Polymaker); 45–60 (Bambu Lab)[2][5]
Part cooling fanNot documentedOff or very low — Polymaker specifies off, Prusament 20 % within a 0–30 % range, Bambu Lab 0–60 %[2][4][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedTextured PEI with glue when needed (Polymaker); smooth or textured PEI (Bambu Lab)[2][12]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented24 at Bambu Lab's 300 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Polymaker allows 50–200 mm/s and its material guide advises 30–60 for layer adhesion[5][2][3][13]
Warping tendency1–5Not documentedSevere — heated chamber needed[2][3][11]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedNeeds a specific surface plus adhesive[2][11]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[14]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning[3][11]
Extruder requirementA second extruder or a tool changer[10]All-metal hotend rated to 300 °C; Polymaker advises larger nozzles and high chamber temperatures to improve bonding[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[10]Brass fine indefinitely[11]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[10]Non-abrasive[2]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very high — frequent jams without careful setup[14]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[3]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedSlightly sensitive[15]
Hotend requirementNot documentedAll-metal hot end required (Simplify3D); Polymaker advises a hot end rated above 300 °C[15][3]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Very high (>2 %) — the vinyl alcohol backbone is what makes it soluble[14][10]Low — 0.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); Prusa measures 0.15 % after 7 days at 22 % RH. Polymaker nonetheless calls PC highly hygroscopic in service[5][4][3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.15 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa)[5][4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented80 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab); 75 °C for 6 h (Polymaker); 70–80 °C for 6–8 h (Polymaker material guide)[5][2][3]
Symptoms when wetNot documentedBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[14]
Effect of moisture on strengthNot a structural material; no dry-versus-conditioned data is published[14]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. Polymaker calls PC highly hygroscopic and requires a 70–80 °C dry for 6–8 h; run wet, the loss shows as surface defects and poor layer adhesion[3][14]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant at all times[14]Airtight containers with desiccant to prevent reabsorption[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPaNot documented53.4 (PolyMax) to 69.1 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Bambu Lab 62 +/- 2 and Prusament 63 +/- 1 at yield; Stratasys 62.3-64.6 at yield printed XZ, ASTM D638 (its PC White table duplicates the Antero 840CN03 figures and was not used)[2][16][5][4][17][6]
Young's modulusMPaNot documented2110 (Bambu Lab) to 2497 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 527; Prusament 1900, 3DXTech 2180[5][2][4][17]
Elongation at break%Not documented3.8 (Bambu Lab) to 4.8 (PolyLite) at break, printed XY, ISO 527; 3DXTech quotes 14 at break, Prusament 5.8 at yield[5][2][17][4]
Flexural strengthMPaNot documented81.3 (PolyMax) to 108 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 88 ± 1, PolyLite 106.1[16][5][4][2]
Flexural modulusMPaNot documented2050 (PolyMax) to 2640 (PolyLite) printed XY, ISO 178; Prusament 2100[16][2][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented4.1 (PolyLite) to 21.3 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 12 ± 1[2][16][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's pendulum in either orientation (ISO 179-1); PolyMax PC retains 9.2 kJ/m2 notched at -30 °C. Stratasys PC Black gives 85.3 MPa flexural strength at break in ZX against no break in XZ (ASTM D790, printed)[4][16][6]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented37.1-45.3 at yield printed ZX (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ASTM D638); 41.4 (PolyMax) to 56 (Bambu Lab) printed Z; Prusa's interlayer adhesion test gives 21 +/- 2[4][16][5][6]
Brittleness1–5Not documentedTough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedShore D 79 (Prusa Polymers method) and Shore D 79 on extruded PC stock (ASTM D2240); Rockwell 70 (118) — the source does not name the scales[4][18]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Not documentedExcellent — holds load for years. Room-temperature tensile creep of moulded PC was still running unbroken at 41 MPa when the experiment was stopped for time; specimens failed within the test window only at 47-52 MPa (ASTM D638)[19]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Not documentedGood[4][3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Not documentedRigid[2]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented59-73 (Stratasys PC Black and Red, ZX against XZ tensile yield, ASTM D638); 76 for PolyLite PC and 90 for Bambu Lab (printed Z against XY tensile)[5][2][6]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented110 (PolyMax PC-FR) to 114 (PolyMax PC), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa; Bambu Lab 112, PolyLite 111, Prusament 113. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 144 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 66 psi)[16][2][5][4][6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented93 (Prusament) to 117 (Bambu Lab), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; PolyLite 107, PolyMax 99. Stratasys FDM PC reaches 141 printed (ASTM D648 Method B at 264 psi)[4][5][2][16][6]
Glass transition (Tg)°CNot documented113 (Polymaker, DSC), 142.5 (Stratasys, ASTM D7426 inflection point) and 145 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Polymaker's material guide quotes 150[2][5][3][6]
Melting point / Vicat°CNot documentedAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 117–120 (Polymaker, ISO 306); decomposition above 360 °C[2][16]
Continuous service temperature°CNot documented113 — Prusa publishes this as the temperature resistance of Prusament PC Blend; extruded PC stock is rated 121 long term (converted from 250 °F)[4][18]
Annealing responseNot documented90 °C for 2 h (Polymaker)[2]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented51.6 in XY over -50 to 30 °C, falling to 35.8 over 30-75 °C and 11.5 over 75-130 °C; 49.2 in XZ over -50 to 120 °C (printed, ASTM E831). Extruded PC stock gives 68.4 (ASTM D696)[6][18]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating on standard PC, though V-0 grades exist[20][2]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Not documentedDegrades within weeks outdoors — unstabilised PC yellows and embrittles under UV[3]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedWithstands oils, solvents and fuels; Polymaker rates it good against weak acids[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Dissolves or disintegrates — by design[1]Good — minor absorption[5]
Food contactNot documentedBisphenol-A polycarbonate is not offered as food-contact filament[3]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedNot biodegradable[3]
RecyclabilityNot documentedMechanically recyclable but not accepted in household plastic collection[3]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — an electrical insulator, which Polymaker lists as a headline advantage[17][3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[21]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[21]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/minNot documented≈4 × 10¹⁰ median — the highest ultrafine-particle rate of the nine filaments in the chamber study, above every ABS tested[21]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[21]Ventilated room or enclosure recommended[21][11]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningNot documentedSands and machines well; the toughness means it cuts rather than chips[15]
Painting & finishingNot documentedOptical clarity survives printing, so transparent parts are usually left unpainted[3]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedCyanoacrylate; dichloromethane solvent-welds PC but is a laboratory reagent[15]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedNo practical vapour smoothing[15]
Support material pairingThis is the support material[1]Prints its own supports; 3DXTech sells a dedicated PC break-away support[15]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedWarping is the dominant accuracy limit; light transmission 89 % on PolyLite PC (GB/T 2410)[2][3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inWater: about 1 g of BVOH per 20 g of water, several hours; warmer water is faster but must not be too hot.[22][1]Dichloromethane, chloroform, DMF and dioxane dissolve it outright (Covestro, 6 days at 23 °C). Laboratory reagents.[23]
Softened or crazed byNothing else — a vinyl alcohol copolymer resists organic solvents, so IPA or acetone will not touch it.[24]Methanol, butyl acetate, ether, 1 % NaOH and phthalate plasticisers stress-crack it; acetone, MEK and xylene swell it.[23]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentNone — water is a removal solvent, not a welding one.[22]Dichloromethane cement welds PC — 16.5 MPa lap shear at one week (IPS Weld-On 3). A controlled carcinogen.[25]

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. Fiberlogy BVOH Natural — product page 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. PolyLite PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  3. PC — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  4. Prusament PC Blend Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V2.0 — PC Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PC (Polycarbonate) — FDM Material Data Sheet Stratasys · 2026-04 · tds
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  11. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  12. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V1.0 — PC FR Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  13. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  15. Polycarbonate — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. PolyMax PC Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  17. ezPC Polycarbonate Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  18. TECANAT natural (PC) — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  19. Experimental data for creep and dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/ABS Data in Brief 42:108264 · 2022-06 · paper
  20. PolyMax PC-FR Technical Data Sheet V5.5 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  21. 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
  22. Water soluble (BVOH/PVA) — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  23. Makrolon — The chemical resistance (Makrolon 2800, 6 days at 23 °C and 50 °C) Covestro · 2016-12 · tds
  24. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Weld-On 3 Acrylic Plastic Cement — technical data sheet (shipped as dichloromethane) IPS Corporation · 2002-07 · tds